Clean
by MusicKeeper
Summary: The dust has settled, but the hurt and the pain are far from over. Restlessness and wishful thinking threaten to overtake Kira's life. There's only one way she knows to fix that - but where could she go outside her little corner of the galaxy? [Sixth in the Eyes Open Saga.]
1. Ten Months Sober

**'ello, peoples of the earth!  
**

 **Well! That was a longer gap between stories than I expected. However, at long last, I have triumphantly returned!**

 **Okay, maybe it's not a triumphant return. But y'all know what I mean!**

 **Long story short, it's good to be back. And now, without further ado: I present Chapter 1 of _Clean!_ Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

 _What a sweet couple,_ Riga Aivtal thought, watching the two sentients seated near the door to the transport. She might not have had much experience with love, but the Twi'lek knew plenty about attraction, and the way the young male adjusted the female's head covering reeked of tenderness.

Then again, what did she know?

"Kira, just let me hold him. You haven't put him down the entire trip," the male said.

"And I don't intend to," the girl, Kira, replied, adjusting the squirming bundle in her arms. Riga raised an eyebrow _. Curious._ The girl seemed much too young to have a toddler in her arms, but there were all sorts of cultures spread around the galaxy. Perhaps the people on the young couple's homeworld married young.

A voice rang over the intercom. "Attention, ladies and gentlemen. We have arrived at the Mos Eisley spaceport," announced the alien pilot. "Good news is, you shouldn't need to worry about your passports. There ain't any stormtroopers out here on this rock. Yet."

The voice laughed as the cargo ship touched down, jostling everyone on board. The young couple were first out of their seats, and the child in the girl's arms jumped down from the seat. Riga felt sorry for the Kira woman, who seemed incredibly flustered as she tried to keep him from running into the aisle. "Stop it, Anakin," she chided. "We'll be out of here in a minute."

The young man looked on as the woman struggled with the child, but Riga couldn't tell if that was adoration or apprehension on his face.

When the door opened, the couple and toddler were out of the ship and heading into the bright Tatooine sunshine before Riga could greet them. As she exited the ship at a much slower pace, she shrugged and glanced off in the direction they'd gone. She mentally wished them well, then she dropped the couple from her mind as she held a hand to her forehead, scouring the spaceport for her ride.

* * *

"At least he waited until the end of the ride."

Kira Narro appreciated Jim's attempt to cheer her up, but at the moment, she wasn't in the mood, though she did her best to hide it. "I suppose," she replied, adjusting her grip on Anakin's hand. He kept trying to pull away from her, and she certainly wasn't having that.

Jim took the hint and changed the subject. "You know, I thought the old man promised to meet us here," he said.

Kira swatted Jim's arm with her other hand. "He's not old," she defended Obi-Wan. "Besides, he told me he would meet us at a cantina in this area, not at the spaceport."

"Which one?" Jim joked, referring to the abundance of cantinas surrounding the open square outside the spaceport.

Kira rolled her eyes. "Follow me."

And Jim did. However, he grinned at Kira, amused, as she pulled Anakin closer to her side. Though she could not see or hear Jim laughing at her, she could sense his mirth.

Kira did not like this attitude at all and wondered, for the umpteenth time, why Cadena had snapped the Code in half for this man. But a promise she had made to Cadena and that promise she would keep, even if it meant spending time with her dead friend's obnoxious husband.

Still, it was good to see Jim laugh again.

Kira shook herself out of those thoughts as she approached a cantina with a doorway that looked like it was about to cave in. Jim squinted as he read the sign. "Fort Tusken," he read aloud, shading his eyes with his hand. "What sort of name is that?"

Kira made sure her covering concealed her lightsaber. "The sand people raided that fort," she explained while she did this. "The name has to be either a rude joke or out of respect for someone the owner knew. The people of Tatooine remember that attack well. It's why they flee from the sand people like jakrab from an anooba."

Jim eyed the place warily. "Sure it's safe?"

"If Master Kenobi told us to meet him here, then yes, I am absolutely certain." And Kira was. She would believe almost anything her Master told her. (The exceptions included times after battle Obi-Wan claimed he was uninjured.)

Jim sighed and strode past Kira toward the entry. "Then let's go."

Kira frowned but followed Jim into the cantina without a word.

Inside, the place was damp and dimly lit. Creatures of all sorts swarmed the counter, clamoring for a drink. Others danced to the music the band of Biths in the corner produced. Kira pressed Anakin to her side and her head covering over her nose. The stench was awful, and she saw why when she caught sight of a pair of aliens at a nearby table. One poured a bottle of an unknown blue liquid over the head of the other, who drank greedily though he was already sitting in a pile of the stuff. Kira cringed and stepped away.

A shift in the Force greeted Kira like a hello from an old friend, and she sensed the man in the robe behind her before he even spoke. "Welcome, strangers," said Obi-Wan, causing Kira and Jim to turn around. "Perhaps I can interest you in a drink?"

Jim glanced at Kira, who discreetly shook her head, then turned back to Obi-Wan. "We'll be fine. They had some drinks on the transport over here."

"Very well. If you'll follow me."

Kira moved to follow Obi-Wan, eager to leave the smelly place. Jim was right on her heels as the small group moved past the bar, where Obi-Wan dropped a few credits before turning toward the exit.

Outside, Jim stood at attention. "It's good to see you, General Kenobi, sir."

"None of that, Jim," Obi-Wan replied modestly, "and most certainly not here. You'll give us away." He glanced over his shoulder. "This way."

The group silently walked for a little while before approaching an area filled with different animals. In one of the stalls, an eopie brayed when she caught sight of the group. Even with his hood over his face, she still seemed to recognize Obi-Wan.

"Easy, old girl," Obi-Wan said softly, rubbing the creature's forehead. "Calm down." He turned to the three behind him. "We can rent a speeder, but that just means we'll have to bring it back," he said, looking at their charge. The eopie's snout had distracted Anakin, who tried to catch it with his free hand, for the time being.

Kira could use some exercise. "We'll be fine," she said, "I'd like to stretch my legs."

"As would I," Jim put in. "Long ride, you know."

"Very well." As they talked, Obi-Wan had been retrieving the saddle and other supplies for the eopie from a storage box inside the stall. "Then perhaps we can take turns riding. It will take a while; I doubt we will arrive before sunset."

With Jim's help, Obi-Wan loaded up the eopie. Then he climbed onto its back, a feat his robe made slightly difficult. "Kira, there is plenty of room for Anakin up here," he said to Kira, who still struggled to keep the young boy close to her.

However, she was skeptical. "Won't he fall?"

Jim clapped the blonde on the shoulder. "You trust Obi-Wan, right? Don't you think he'll keep Anakin from falling?"

Kira pressed her lips together in a thin line. Nodding, she allowed Jim to pick up Anakin and hoist him onto Obi-Wan's mount. Anakin didn't like being in the grip of this strange bearded man, so he threw out his chubby hands and squirmed. "Da! Da!" he squealed. "Da!"

Jim did his best to comfort his son. "I'm right here, Anakin," he said. "I'll be here the whole time."

At last, Anakin stopped squealing. By the time the passerby stopped staring in the direction of the baby screams, the group were already heading out. Kira and Jim each had a small case with them, but other than that, the luggage was minimal.

They'd had to leave quickly. With insurgent activity on Onderon and the shooting of an informant in Iziz, more and more stormtroopers had poured onto the planet. Kira had been terrified one of the troopers would recognize her or Jim; she'd been determined to get off the planet and out of the sector before something happened. Jim had teased her about finding an excuse to move to Tatooine to be with Obi-Wan, but in truth, he, too, had been worried.

In the end, they had escaped just before the Imperials began issuing passports. They had avoided gunfights and angry edicts from Coruscant as they prepared to leave, and their friend Ahsoka had pulled a few strings to get them onto a transport.

The Togruta had also seen the two off at the spaceport. "I wish I could stay," Kira said as she hugged Ahsoka goodbye. "I want to help."

"I know. But it's best that you stay under the radar," Ahsoka had declined. "That you both stay under the radar. For Anakin's sake."

Kira had glanced over her shoulder to watch Jim give Anakin a piggyback ride. "It doesn't matter. I can't just sit around and do nothing."

"I know." Ahsoka took Kira's hands in her own. "Don't worry. Your time will come, sooner rather than later if I suspect correctly."

Kira had simply nodded, not wishing to argue. Ahsoka hadn't said any more on the subject.

Now Kira shaded her eyes against the twin suns as she, Jim, and Obi-Wan and Anakin on the eopie made their way out of Mos Eisley. During her time on Onderon, she'd become accustomed to the humid air of the green jungles and the fog of the valley below the mountains of the region. She had been to Tatooine before, but not long enough to get used to the dry heat of the desert.

By the time the group stopped to trade eopie riders, Kira was burning up. While Obi-Wan helped Jim adjust himself on the eopie saddle, she retrieved her canteen from her belt and poured some of its contents into her hand. The water in the canteen had miraculously stayed cool during the trek, and Kira gratefully held her wet hand first to one cheek, then the other.

After Jim helped Anakin drink from his canteen, the group started off again. Obi-Wan fell into step beside his former apprentice. "You've gotten taller," he observed, prompting a smile from Kira. They both knew how much she'd hated her height when she was younger.

However, Kira's observation of her former teacher was more sober. She noted the dark circles under Obi-Wan's glassy blue-grey eyes. "You haven't been sleeping."

Obi-Wan shrugged off the comment. "It's hard to rest when you don't have a breeze."

Neither of them mentioned that a year was more than enough time for Obi-Wan to adapt to sleeping on a desert planet.

Kira let it go – for the time being. "It's good to see you, Master."

Wrinkles at the edge of Obi-Wan's eyes crinkled as he smiled. "It's good to see you as well, Kira. I trust Ahsoka is doing well?"

"Just fine, Master. She asked me to tell you hello for her."

After that, the trip was quiet. Former Master and Padawan walked side by side in companionable silence.

When it was Kira's turn to ride the eopie, she quickly found that an eopie ride was not her favorite form of transportation. A few moments after she climbed on, the animal tried to buck her off. Obi-Wan rushed to grab the reins as Kira did her best to keep herself and Anakin on the creature's back. By the time Jim got Kira and Anakin down, Kira was trembling from head to foot. "I'm never getting on that thing again," she declared, much more calmly than she felt.

After that, the trip was uneventful. The wind picked up a bit as the suns sank toward the horizon, but the travelers saw that as a blessing rather than an inconvenience. Kira especially welcomed the wind; she even went so far as to remove her head covering so the wind could cool her face.

Obi-Wan's small residence came into view at last, and Kira knew she wasn't the only one who was relieved. She took Jim's case so he could help Obi-Wan with the eopie and took Anakin out of the stable so he could run around a bit. Kira didn't lose sight of the toddler for a second.

It was Obi-Wan who came to fetch the two. "Allow me," he said, gesturing to one of the cases.

Kira let him take it without argument.

Anakin was all too eager to begin exploring his new home and disappeared within the small hut within seconds of making his way inside. Kira and Jim were slower, putting down their cases and inspecting the place.

The hut was plain but cool. Everything was in its proper place, and merely a chest and a few chairs constituted a small living area off to the side. A small window allowed the last light of day into the hut. The scent of Obi-Wan's favorite ginger tea wafted through the air.

Kira liked it immediately.

* * *

 **I should probably say that this story will be a little slower than its predecessors. A bridge, if you will, to the next leg of the saga.**

 **Kira: Wait. Hold up. There's going to be another _leg_? As in, more than one book!?**

 **Me: That's right, peoples! This isn't the end of _Eyes Open,_ oh no! Not by a long shot!**

 **Kira: Force help me.**

 **Me: Force help you indeed. Ehehehe.  
**

 **Kira: At least I've got Master Kenobi to help me in case you go crazy again.**

 **Obi-Wan: Don't drag me into this, Padawan!**

 **Me: Ha! Looks like he doesn't want to help! I bet he's as scared of me as you are!**

 **Obi-Wan: I'm not scared! I'm just ... just ...**

 **Me: Frightened? Afraid?**

 **Kira: Hey!**

 **Me: Eh. We all know you two are scared of me. On that note, who wants to pick the song?**

 **Kira: I will! *presses button***

 **Tablet: Hey, old lover, it's a lonely day, there's a record on and the song remains...**

 **Me: Nice choice. Okay, Obi-Wan, you do the review notice.**

 **Obi-Wan: Me? Why?**

 **Me: Because I said so. And because Kira does it all the time.**

 **Obi-Wan: ...if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, please review and let Amy know. Thank you.**

 **Me: Perfect! Did I mention how good it is to be back?**

 **Obi-wan: I believe you did.**

 **Kira: Master, don't make her mad...**

 **Me: I'm in a charitable mood at the moment. Anyway, thanks for reading, and may the Force be with you always! See you next time!**

 **Kira: Bye!**


	2. The Drought Was The Very Worst

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **So we're back to my regular posting schedule - Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I may or may not be able to update until next Saturday because yours truly is heading to Guatemala for a mission trip! I'm going to do my best to update, but don't be surprised if I can't.**

 **Thanks to katierosefun and Lux's Sister for reviewing! And now, without further ado, I now present Chapter 2 of _Clean_! Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

One of the best and worst things about being a Jedi, at least in Kira's mind, was all the travelling.

Kira liked travelling because she got to explore fascinating new worlds.

Kira hated travelling because she either woke up on the ground or in an unfamiliar bed.

Though Kira could hear familiar sounds and smell familiar scents her first night in the hut on Tatooine, she couldn't shake the unsettled feeling of sleeping in a bed that was not her own. While everyone else slept, Kira tossed and turned. She threw off her blanket, then tugged it back on.

Eventually Kira gave up trying and just lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

This is why, the next morning, Kira was bleary-eyed and sluggish when she walked into the kitchen. Jim didn't notice, for he was busy frying something in a pan. "Morning, Kira," he said.

"Good morning, Jim."

While Jim watched his pan, Kira retrieved a glass from a cabinet and the blue milk from the cooler, almost spilling the cool drink in the process. Luckily, she was able to steady the jug in time. "Is Anakin awake yet?"

"No. Let's hope he stays that way. Any idea where the old man is?"

Kira was too tired to scold. "Meditating." Not only did she know Obi-Wan's routine like the back of her hand, but she'd also felt the shift in the Force. Her Master's signature was always calm while he meditated.

Jim sighed. "If I leave before he comes out here, can you tell him I took the eopie to Mos Espa to look for a job? Gotta make a living somehow."

"He's almost done, so you should be able to tell him yourself." Kira poured the blue milk into her glass. "Besides, I'm sure there's a town closer than Mos Espa. We can ask him when he finishes."

Jim looked up from his pan just as Kira turned around to put away the blue milk. "Kriff, Kira, are you okay? You look awful."

"Thanks," Kira retorted. She pushed the jug into the cooler. "I'm just fine."

"You look like you need a stimpill."

"I think we've already established I look terrible, thank you."

At that moment, Obi-Wan emerged from the corridor into the kitchen. "Good morning," he said, looking rather well rested.

"Good morning, Master."

"Good morning, uh…"

"You can call me Ben, Jim."

Jim looked confused. Kira was, too. "Ben, Master?"

"It's just an alias, Kira." Obi-Wan opened the cooler. "I suggest you think of one for yourself as well. Even out here, the people know of the Clone Wars – and who fought in them."

Kira bit her lip before taking another sip of her blue milk, thinking of the alias she'd taken on Onderon. That had been a fluke, a name that sprang to her mind in a pinch. Surely she wouldn't need it here on this backwater desert world.

Would she?

Jim was speaking. "I was hoping you'd allow me to take the eopie to Mos Espa to look for a job, er, Ben."

Obi-Wan frowned. "Why Mos Espa? There's a town a few miles east of here with plenty of cantinas and speeder garages."

Kira shot Jim a look. _Told you._

Jim ignored the younger girl. "I didn't know, sir. Thank you."

"Of course."

Kira was quiet as Jim took a plate from the cabinet and flipped the contents of his pan onto the plate. "I made enough for everyone," he said. "I hope everyone likes nerf bacon."

The food did smell good, and Kira eagerly took a piece. "Thank you, Jim."

"Yes, thank you." Obi-Wan took a piece, too.

"Just don't give any to Anakin. It's too rich for him." Jim grabbed some nerf bacon for himself and chewed off a piece as he took the pan over to the sink. "The one time I gave that stuff to him, he got sick."

The object of discussion raced into the room, hair sticking up and sleep clothes wrinkled. "Da!" he cried, lifting his arms.

Jim dropped the pan in the sink and the uneaten remnant of the nerf bacon on the counter and crossed the kitchen to pick up his son. "Good morning, my boy!" he said cheerfully. "Are you gonna be good for Kira and Ben today?"

Anakin vigorously nodded.

"Good boy." Jim put the toddler down, ignoring his protests. "I should be back by dinner. If I'm not, I have my comm."

"I wish you the best, Jim," Obi-Wan said.

"Thanks." Jim turned to clap Kira on the shoulder on his way out. "I'll see you later."

"Later, Jim."

When the door closed, Kira headed over to the sink to clean off the dirty pan. Grabbing a rag from the side of the sink, she scrubbed at the sticky stuff, wrinkling her nose when she realized just how much of a mess Jim had made.

She liked Jim, truly, but the man needed to learn how to clean up after himself.

"You didn't get much sleep last night."

Kira didn't look up. "Too hot," she said, using the excuse Obi-Wan had given her the previous day.

"Fair enough."

That surprised the girl. She'd known Obi-Wan would see right through her, but she hadn't expected him to just let it go. Just how much had he changed in the year they'd been apart?

She wouldn't ask. He was letting her keep her secrets; she wouldn't press for his.

"We didn't get to see much on our first trip here," Obi-Wan said, referring to their first and only visit to the desert planet. Kira remembered it well. She'd been twelve. They'd been tracking a bounty hunter who'd attacked the now late Senator Padme Amidala. True to Obi-Wan's word, they hadn't gotten to see much. They'd been in too much of a hurry to explore, and they'd had to bring the bounty hunter to Coruscant to stand trial for his compromised assassination attempt.

Now Kira glanced up from her work. "No, we didn't," she said, curious where Obi-Wan was going with this.

Obi-Wan peered at her over the rim of his cup. "I need to make a trip to the Pika Oasis today," he said. "It'll be a quick supply run, nothing more, but I thought you might like to come. Explore a little, that sort of thing."

Kira finished the pan and picked up a clean rag to dry it off. "I don't recall hearing about the Pika Oasis," she said.

"That doesn't surprise me," Obi-Wan replied. "It's a small oasis with a small population and one major store."

Kira nodded. "I'd like that, Master."

At that, Obi-Wan put down his cup and approached Kira's spot by the sink. "Kira," he said quietly, gently taking the pan out of her hand and placing it on the counter. "That time has passed. It is no longer necessary – or safe – to address me in that fashion."

Kira bowed her head. "Even when we're alone?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Even when we're alone."

Kira slowly raised her head. She had never seen Obi-Wan look so sad, even when he'd come to Onderon to bid her, Jim, and Cadena farewell. How long ago that time seemed! "I understand."

"Good. In the meantime, you can call me Ben." In an uncharacteristic move, Obi-Wan took hold of Kira's hand and squeezed. "And what should I call you?"

Kira relented and told him her alias. "Eva. Eva Isis."

Obi-Wan smiled. "Did you come up with that on Onderon?"

"Yes."

"I like it. It's an ancient name; it suits you."

Kira grinned. "Are you saying I'm old?"

The wrinkles at the corners of Obi-Wan's eyes deepened as he smiled back. "No, of course not. But you certainly have matured since the last time I saw you."

 _A year of waiting and wondering and staying on guard will do that to you._ But Kira didn't voice her thoughts out loud.

Anakin caught their attention with a squeal, and Kira glanced at Obi-Wan on her way to calm him. "You know we'll have to take Anakin with us, right?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I suppose we don't have much of a choice."

* * *

Since Jim had taken the eopie (Rooh, Obi-Wan told Kira, was the animal's name), Obi-Wan Kira, and Anakin walked to the Pika Oasis. They did not speak much, for a desert wind picked up during their walk and forced them to cover their mouths and noses and shade their eyes. Even with these precautions, however, Kira still had to squint her eyes shut to prevent sand and dust from getting under her eyelids. Anakin whimpered beside her, prompting her to pick him up. He buried his face in her shoulder to hide from the whirling sand.

Kira smelled the oasis before she saw it. The wind carried the smell of water in her direction, and she sighed at the welcome scent, so different from the smell of sweat and dust. When she first saw the town, the sight was as vibrant to her eyes as the scent was sweet to her nose. Green trees and sparkling blue water contrasted greatly with the yellow shade of the desert sands.

"So this is Pika Oasis," Kira observed.

Obi-Wan turned his head a little to look at her. "We'll be able to stay for a while. Junia never turns away a weary traveler."

"Junia?"

"The shop owner."

"Oh."

Obi-Wan was the first to reach the sturdy tan building, where he pressed the button on the side panel to open the door. Kira and Anakin were right behind him.

"Come in, Ben! Shut the door behind you – don't let all the sand in here."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Junia." Obi-Wan approached the counter, where there were a few stools. Kira wondered if this store also functioned as a cantina.

A smiling, brown-haired woman appeared from behind the shelves that crowded the right side of the store, datapad in hand. "Don't tell me your vaporator's broken again?"

"Of course not. I just need some supplies today."

"Ah. Well, we have those, too." The woman, who Kira assumed must be Junia, moved to stand behind the counter. "But first, who might they be? I haven't seen them 'round these parts before."

"This is my niece, Eva, and my nephew, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied smoothly. "Their older brother's in Anchorhead. They've come to stay with me since their parents passed on."

Junia turned to look at Kira. "Desert fever, I presume?"

"Yes," Kira said, brushing off the fact that Obi-Wan had introduced her as his niece. She'd read about the disease before on one of the datacards from the Temple Archives. "It was particularly bad in Bestine this season."

"So I've heard. My condolences, child. However, it is good that Ben over here has somebody to take care of him." Junia leaned forward, as if she were telling a secret. "Has he bought himself a door yet?"

Kira turned to stare in shock at Obi-Wan as she put Anakin on a stool, glad she could answer Junia's question affirmatively. "Yes, ma'am!"

Junia laughed at Kira's reaction. "Good to hear! Now, what can I get you?"

"That's not necessary, Junia." Obi-Wan stood up from the stool. "We can find everything we need."

Junia raised an eyebrow. "At least let me get you three some water."

"You can get Eva and Anakin cups if you like. I'm just fine." Obi-Wan disappeared behind one of the shelving units.

Junia shook her head. "That man. Always so stubborn!" She knelt behind the counter to retrieve a glass.

Kira sat on a stool next to Anakin and watched as Junia turned to fill the cup from a tap behind the counter. The water poured from the spigot into the cup; just watching made Kira feel thirsty. "Thanks," she said when Junia handed her the cup. "Do you mind if I fill my canteen on the way out?"

"Of course not, child. You take all the water you need." Junia looked up at the sand-colored ceiling, presumably listening to the pellets of sand pelting the roof. "It's a nasty storm out there. Tell me, was it this bad when you left?"

Kira shook her head. "It was perfectly clear out."

"Was it?" Junia frowned. "And did your uncle happen to notice any swarms of rock hornets?"

"He pointed one out to me on the way here."

"Hmm."

Obi-Wan called from between the shelves. "You do realize that I can hear every word you say, right, Junia?"

"Mm-hm. And I'm hoping you take the hint – never take the children out in a storm like this again!"

Kira tried to reassure the older woman. "It wasn't awful, truly. We got here before it became really bad."

Junia turned back to Kira. "It doesn't matter. The old man has lived here for over a year now. He should know better than to—"

The cry rang out in the distance. _"Ayoooooo-eh-EH-EH!"_

Kira looked up at the sound. Anakin screeched. "A krayt dragon? This close to civilization?"

Junia looked up, too. "No, not a krayt dragon. It's the Settlers' Call – the Tuskens are raiding again." She flew out from behind the counter, then stopped and looked at Kira. "The settlers will be coming. Will you help me?"

"She's not going with the posse," Obi-Wan said, appearing from behind the shelves.

"I didn't ask her to," Junia replied, turning to Kira and repeating her question. "Will you help me?"

Kira didn't hesitate and immediately jumped down from the stool. "Tell me what to do."

* * *

 **So, if any of you have read _Kenobi_ by John Jackson Miller (which I encourage you to do), you have an idea of what's going on. If you haven't, you'll get more of an idea in the next chapter.  
**

 **Kira: You left them on a cliffhanger again.**

 **Me: Yeah, but this time it wasn't terrible. I've left them hanging at worse times.**

 **Obi-Wan: This is true.**

 **Me: Yup! Let's go ahead and wrap this up; I'm sleepy. Who wants to do the review notice?**

 **Kira: ...**

 **Obi-Wan: ...**

 **Me: Fine. Kira, you do it.**

 **Kira: Do I have to?**

 **Me: Just do it, would ya? We don't have all night.**

 **Kira: Ugh. If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, please review and let Amy know.**

 **Me: Please do! I seem to have lost some of my most faithful readers and reviewers! I'd love them to come back...**

 **Obi-Wan: I'm sure they're still keeping up with the series.**

 **Me: I hope so. Anyway, thanks for clicking in and may the Force be with you always! We'll see you Saturday (if the plane ride doesn't kill me first)!**


	3. You're Still All Over Me

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **I'm going to make this quick, since I have to leave to catch my flight in about an hour, give or take. Thanks to katierosefun, Lux's Sister, and Solstix for their lovely reviews! As usual, they make me so happy.**

 **Without further ado, I now present Chapter 3 of _Clean_! Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

The cry of the krayt dragon didn't cease, but it didn't drown out the din of the crowd that rushed into the general store. Kira and Junia stood ready to hand out the rifles and staffs in the crates at their feet to those who did not have their own blasters. Questions and speculations swirled through the crowd.

"Whose farm is it?"

"Are they still taking vaporators?"

"That happened once, with old Ulbreck's farm."

"It sounds like it's coming from the east, and you know how many farms are out there."

"Do you think we'll get there in time?"

Kira tried to ignore the talk that passed among the people of the oasis as she passed out staffs. Luckily, no one seemed to notice her – or Anakin, for that matter, who stared wide-eyed at the crowd from his stool. Junia was calm as she passed out the weapons from her own crate.

When the crowd had dispersed and gone back outside, the whine of speeders rose above the desert sands. Kira reached a transparisteel window just in time to watch the speeders fly over the sand dunes and into the distance.

Obi-Wan broke the silence that came with having just three people in a large store. "They were much more organized than the last time the Call sounded," he commented.

"They learn fast." Junia closed the lid on her crate of blasters. "They have to."

"That they do."

Junia turned to Kira, who was silently piling the staffs into her own crate. "You did good, girl. You respond well to direction."

Kira wasn't quite sure how to reply to that. In the end, she just smiled. "Thanks."

Junia turned back to Obi-Wan. As if Kira was not even there, she asked, "Is she part of a cult or something? What're those markings for?"

Kira froze. Why she hadn't thought about her facial markings, she didn't know. Though they were not as obvious on her face as they would be on a full-blood Togruta's, they were still visible.

Still, Kira had a feeling that if the Empire knew about a hybrid Padawan running around, they would know to be wary of humanoid creatures with faint Togrutan markings.

However, Obi-Wan had apparently thought of this as well. "Eva and her brothers' mother was Togruta," he explained. "Eva got the markings, while the boys got the sharp teeth. I'm not sure how – I couldn't explain genetics to you if I tried."

Obi-Wan laughed as if he had made a joke, and Junia laughed with him. Kira liked the older woman's laugh; it was a loud, contagious one that seemed to tickle one's belly and make one want to laugh with her. It was the laugh of one who had a lot to laugh about.

When the laughing had gone on a little too long for Kira's liking, she cleared her throat to get Obi-Wan's attention. "Are we almost finished here, _Uncle_?" she asked sweetly, hoping he'd take the hint.

Obi-Wan glanced outside. "Good heavens, it _is_ getting late, isn't it?" He vanished behind the shelving unit. "Just let me get this feed…"

Junia raised an eyebrow. "Must you leave so soon? You just got here not moments ago!"

"Yes, well, I'm afraid we must take our leave." Something dragged along the width of the shelf and fell onto the floor. A dull _thud_ sounded on the steel. "Oh!"

Kira rushed forward to help. "Are you all right?"

"I seem to have hit my head." When Obi-Wan came back into view, he dragged a bag of eopie feed behind him. His free hand scratched the top of his head. "But I'm perfectly fine."

Junia shook her head and moved behind the counter. "I'm beginning to think you're doing that on purpose, Ben. You've come here several times – surely you've learned from the mistake by now?"

Obi-Wan flashed Junia a grin in response. "Apparently I have not."

Kira went to collect the rest of the gathered supplies while Obi-Wan tossed the bag of feed onto the counter. "Do we have everything?" she asked while she stacked the supplies next to the feed. A water container, a bag of jogans, various tools…

"I believe so."

Anakin reached for one of the jogans, and Kira promptly swatted his hand away. "Uncle Ben needs to pay for these first," she explained, lifting him down from the stool. "You can have one later."

She really had to get used to calling Obi-Wan "Uncle" or "Ben." The words felt strange in her mouth.

During this exchange, Obi-Wan had reached into a pocket of his robe and pulled out several credit chips. "This should cover it," he said.

Junia's eyes widened. "Ben, really, this is too much—"

"Take it." Even though Obi-Wan leaned in to whisper what he said next, Kira still heard. "Consider it payment for the incident the last time I was here."

Junia giggled, a high, girlish sound. Kira turned away, pretending to be occupied with making sure Anakin would be well protected when they ventured back outside.

After Obi-Wan finished paying and said goodbye, Kira took one of the large canvas bags of supplies and slung it over her shoulder. With her other hand, she prodded Anakin forward. "Can you get the door for us?" she asked him.

"Oh, I've got it, child, don't you worry." Junia emerged from behind the counter and took a glance out the transparisteel window on her way to the door. "Are you sure you don't want to wait here a little longer, Ben?"

"That won't be necessary. Look – the storm is already dying down." And it was. The wind continued to howl, but the cloud of sand was not so thick.

Junia pressed her lips together. "I don't like it," she protested.

"It's all right," Kira ventured. "Home isn't far."

Junia harrumphed. "If you say so," she muttered as Obi-Wan picked up his bag of supplies. Kira made sure she had a tight grip on Anakin's hand before Junia opened the door. "You take care, now," said the shop owner. "Watch out for those rock hornets from now on, Ben. No supplies are worth getting lost in a sandstorm."

"I'll keep that in mind." With that, Obi-Wan led the way outside.

On the long, quiet trek back to the hut, Kira made herself a mental note: bring a speeder next time they went shopping.

* * *

"Do I even want to know what incident Junia meant?"

Obi-Wan looked up, trying to meet Kira's eyes as she stoked the fire in preparation for a cold desert night. She refused to meet his gaze as she poked at the ashes. "I doubt it."

Kira nodded silently. Anakin, oblivious to the conversation, added his own input. "Pretty," he said, crawling toward the fire.

Kira pulled Anakin away. "The fire isn't a toy," she told him sternly, setting him back in his previous spot. She picked up Anakin's tooka doll. "This is, though. Look." She waved the tiny doll to get the toddler's attention. Catch his attention the doll did, and Anakin grabbed at the toy without delay. Kira let him have it, pleased to have distracted him for the time being.

Obi-Wan watched this interaction quietly. "Sit down," he said once Anakin was calm.

Kira obeyed without comment. She rose from the floor and sat on the bench across from Obi-Wan. A rather convenient spot, she thought, since she could block Anakin's way if he tried approaching the fire again.

Once she was settled, Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest. "Why are you angry?"

Kira watched the flames dance in the fireplace. "I'm not angry, Master."

"Ben."

That prompted Kira to face Obi-Wan square on. As she spoke, she watched the light from the fire flicker on the side of his face. "How can you say that? How can you just throw everything away as if it means nothing to you?"

"Ah." It was a sad sigh. Obi-Wan leaned forward slightly and uncrossed his arms, reaching out. Kira hesitated a moment before letting him take her hand. "That is what is bothering you?"

Kira nodded, letting the crackling of the fire fill the silence before speaking. "I don't _want_ to throw everything away. I can't."

"I am not asking you to forget your past, Kira," Obi-Wan replied. Kira felt herself relax at the use of her given name. "nor am I asking you to throw it away. It is part of what makes you you. However, I _am_ asking you to put your past behind you. There is nothing we can do about what has already happened, and there was nothing we could have done to change it. Dwelling on the past will do you no good."

"I understand –" Kira steeled herself "— Ben."

Obi-Wan smiled sadly. "Good."

Kira went back to staring at the fire. If she strained her ears enough, the crackling resembled a certain laugh. A laugh from the past.

"You miss her."

Sighing, Kira snapped out of the past and into the present. "She was my friend."

"I know." Obi-Wan released Kira's hand and settled back into his seat. "I miss Anakin as well."

Kira sat up a little straighter. This was the first in a long time she had heard a peep about Anakin Skywalker, Cadena's Master. The Hero With No Fear had disappeared after the Clone Wars, turning into the Sith Lord Darth Vader. However, only the remaining Jedi knew of the transformation. The public knew the Sith Lord – but not who he'd been before the Empire. Most assumed that Anakin had been killed with all the other Jedi.

"It was really bad on Onderon," Kira found herself saying. "More and more stormtroopers kept coming in. They would randomly perform door-to-door checks, making sure everyone had their identification. I heard tales of citizens being shot in the streets, and more than once, I witnessed those tales come to life."

"I'm sorry."

She hadn't even realized Obi-Wan had been listening so intently. "It's not your fault. But that's when I knew we had to get out."

"You were wise."

On that note, silence fell over the room except for the sound of the crackling flames and Anakin's toddler chatter. Kira was glad when Jim returned to the hut. "I'm home!" he called gaily as he stepped inside, prompting Anakin to jump up and race to the door to greet his father.

"I assume you had a good day?" Kira asked, looking up.

Jim ruffled Anakin's hair. "I found a job at a speeder garage in Anchorhead. Great place. Pays better than the one in Iziz. I start tomorrow."

"Good!" Kira had to laugh as Anakin pulled too hard on Jim's trouser leg and caused his father to stumble.

"Yes, yes, alright. I'll pick you up." Jim hoisted Anakin up into his arms. "There. Happy now?"

Anakin was, in fact, very pleased. He waved at Kira from his perch in Jim's arms, chattering with glee.

"I'll assume that means yes." Jim glanced from Obi-Wan to Kira and back again. "Anything eventful happen here?"

"Apparently a farm was raided by Tuskens," Kira replied, looking to Obi-Wan for confirmation. "What did Junia call that alarm? The Settlers' Call?"

"Yes." Obi-Wan shifted to face Jim and Kira both. "The Settlers' Call has been around since before I arrived here. It's an alarm that a protected farm sets off to alert community members of a Tusken attack."

"I feel like there's a story behind that," Jim commented.

That brought a genuine smile to Obi-Wan's face. "There is, but we should save it for another time. Kira kept dinner warm for you, Jim."

Jim raised an eyebrow at the younger girl, who shrugged sheepishly, and grinned. "Thanks, Kira, but next time, you guys go ahead and eat without me. I bet you're starving."

"I bet you are, too!" Kira jumped up and headed to the kitchen. "I made ahrisa – and we got Pallie wine on our supply run." She brought out the wine bottle and two glasses. "It's not Corellian wine, but it'll do."

"A drink is a drink," Jim quipped, accepting a glass from Kira with his free hand.

Obi-Wan, too, accepted a glass and took the bottle from Kira to open it up. "Thank you, young one."

As Kira went back into the kitchen for the ahrisa, she glanced back. Jim's laughter rang throughout the hut, and Obi-Wan was smiling, perhaps at whatever joke he'd made as he popped open the wine bottle. If Kira closed her eyes, she could pretend that everything was right in the universe, even if just for a moment.

There wasn't anything wrong with pretending every once in a while, no matter what Obi-Wan had said about not dwelling on the past.

* * *

 **I did say something about wishful thinking and what-ifs.**

 **Kira: Oh, give me a break. Don't you have somewhere to be?**

 **Me: *quadruple checking my carry-on* Well, we're already at the airport.**

 **Kira: Why'd you even wake me up at five in the morning anyway?**

 **Me: So you could pick the song while I brace myself for the flight.**

 **Kira: Oh.**

 **Me: So pick one!**

 **Tablet: As I look around a vacant room, I see nobody left here to blame...**

 **Me: I also woke you so you could do the review notice.**

 **Kira: You woke me up for that!?**

 **Me: Well, yeah. Hurry up and do it already - we don't have all day!**

 **Kira: ...review if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn. Thanks.**

 **Me: Also pray for me and the others with me who are heading to Guatemala that we will glorify God in our work (and also that we don't kill each other on the way). I mean, if you're religious. You don't have to if you don't want to.**

 **Kira: Cut to the chase already.**

 **Me: Haha. So, if I don't post, assume I'm lost in Guatemala or the plane crashed. katierosefun, you're in charge of finishing Kira's story if I don't make it back.**

 **Kira: Whoa! We didn't discuss that! She'd probably kill me in the end!**

 **Me: Enh. We all die at some point or another. Anyway, thanks for clicking in, and may the Force be with you always!**

 **Kira: And disregard anything she just said about not making it back. Cause that won't happen.**

 **Me: Probably.**


	4. The Water Filled My Lungs

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **Well, Guatemala was absolutely amazing, and the first chance I get, I'm going back. It was just that fantastic, and the people were lovely, and honestly, if I had to move there for some reason I would not have a quarrel with that.**

 **I also came back to one review, so I wonder where all my reviewers went? Thanks to Lux's Sister for the *cough* _one_ *cough* review on the last chapter!**

 **Anyway. Without further ado, I present Chapter 4 of _Clean_! Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

It did not take long for Kira to establish a routine. She woke at the crack of dawn and made herself a cup of tea. Obi-Wan usually woke soon after Kira, and the girl made sure to have a hot cup of tea ready for him, too.

Kira spent most of the day entertaining Anakin. She and Jim had brought only the tooka doll and a small bouncing ball that the toddler liked to play catch with when they left Onderon, but every so often Kira thought of some new game to play with him. Still, though she was able to keep Anakin entertained most of the time, she promised herself to keep an eye out for some new toy she could purchase.

At the end of each week, Kira travelled to Anchorhead with Jim to catch up on news, since the family dared not use a personal Holonet connection. Every week, the news reported some new bill the Senate had passed or showed footage of the systems that bill was affecting. And every week, as Kira watched, her stomach churned and threatened to make her sick.

Though Kira's usual order of muja juice was much more bitter on Tatooine than it had been on Onderon, that wasn't what turned her stomach. What did turn her stomach, however, was the fact that she was doing nothing to stop the cycle.

But she held her tongue.

One morning, Kira took Anakin outside to play after she made her tea. She sat at the side of the hut and nursed her cup while he climbed on the sand dunes. He quickly discovered that sand slides out of your hand when you pick it up. Kira watched Anakin carefully as he picked up handfuls of sand and watched the grains drain between his fingers, hoping he wouldn't try to eat it.

Anakin didn't try to eat the sand, but he did decide to pour a few handfuls of sand on himself.

"You're crazy," Kira told the toddler inside the refresher as she helped him out of his clothes so he could take a bath. "See if I let you play in the sand again."

"San?" Anakin stopped trying to grab his dirty shirt from Kira and looked up.

"Yes, _sand._ " Kira put emphasis on the _d_ sound as she reached into the tub to check the water temperature. Satisfied, she turned off the water. "Now into the tub with you."

Anakin peered inside the tub and shook his head rapidly. "Noooooo," he moaned as Kira picked him up. "No ba."

"Yes, bath," Kira said, lowering Anakin into the water. For one blessed moment, Anakin was silent. But as soon as his foot hit the warm water, he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Now, Kira loved younglings. She'd helped take care of younglings back at the Temple when her Master was off on a solo mission, and she'd even gotten Caleb and Cadena to help her a few times. (There was one instance that made her smirk every time she thought about it.) She'd liked rocking the children to sleep and telling them stories. She even liked playing their childish games with them when they asked her to join in.

But there are a few things about babies that no one likes, even those who love children. In general, there are the dirty diapers, the crying at night, and the spit up. Then there are the problems specific to just a few kids. Some children have a serious grabbing problem. Others like to throw things.

And then there are the kids who scream.

Anakin didn't even shed a tear when he screamed. He mostly did it to get his father's attention, and get Jim's attention the screaming did. Kira had just started filling up the bucket to pour over Anakin's head when the refresher door opened. A rumple-haired, sleepy-eyed Jim peered into the refresher. "What does he want?"

"To get out of the tub."

"Ah."

Anakin had, by this time, figured out that the screaming wasn't helping. His Plan B involved splashing the water as hard as he could. This soaked Kira's tunic and got water droplets in her eyes. Still she pressed on, reaching for the shampoo. "You may as well go get a few more minutes' rest, Jim. This might take a while."

"I'm already awake." Jim ran a hand through his sandy hair, messing it up even more. "Do you need help?"

"Not at all."

Jim shrugged helplessly. "I'm not gonna argue with you." He backed out of the refresher and shut the door behind him before Kira could change her mind.

Anakin took one look at the closed refresher door, inhaled deeply, and screeched.

Kira covered an ear with one soaked hand and sighed. Yes, this _would_ take a while.

* * *

Kira entered the kitchen only after she had bathed and dressed Anakin, cleaned the refresher floor, and changed out of her own soaked clothes. There, she found Obi-Wan on one side of the table with a cup of steaming tea in his hands and Jim on the other side, his hair hanging over one eye as he tapped his own cup. Obi-Wan looked up as Kira passed his chair. "I kept the tea hot," he said.

"Thank you." Kira retrieved a cup from the cabinet. "I'm terribly sorry about the episode this morning."

"It's all right," Obi-Wan said.

"There's nerf bacon if you want it," Jim added.

Kira filled her cup, took a few pieces of cold nerf bacon from the plate Jim had made, and sat down with the men. She was beginning to tire of nerf bacon. "Do we need to go on another supply run, Ben?" Force, Kira hated calling Obi-Wan that.

Obi-Wan sipped his tea before answering. "We probably should. We're running low on blue milk, bantha meat, and nerf bacon. We need the protein."

Kira fought the urge to scream at the mention of nerf bacon.

"I might need some parts, too," Obi-Wan continued, a hand coming up to stroke his beard thoughtfully. "The vaporator is acting up, and if we don't have water, the protein won't matter."

Kira rolled her eyes at Obi-Wan's slightly morbid joke, but Jim perked up. "I could fix it," he said.

Obi-Wan sipped his tea again. "I won't ask you to do that, Jim. You have a son to take care of."

"Yeah, but Kira's been helping me out a lot." Jim turned to wink at Kira over his shoulder, and the young girl sipped her own tea to hide her grimace. "Maybe I can get her to help me out a little more."

"I'm not great with mechanics," Kira warned shortly.

"That's fine. I'll just need someone to hand me tools."

Obi-Wan looked at Kira inquisitively, and she caved. "Alright. What parts do you need?"

"Oh, I don't know yet. I need to look at the vaporator before I'll know."

Kira put down her cup. "Then might we work on it this morning? I'd like to leave and come back before it gets too hot."

"Deal."

* * *

"Spanner."

Kira plucked the tool from the tool box and threw it towards Jim. Jim reached forward so it would land in his hand, but he miscalculated the distance between himself and the spanner. The spanner landed on his head with a _thwack_ instead of in his hand.

"Ow!" Rubbing his head, Jim looked around him and found the spanner lying half-buried in the sand. "You didn't do that on purpose, did you?"

Kira was taken aback. "No! Why would I do such a thing?"

Jim shrugged, teasing grin already stuck on his face. "I get the feeling you don't like me."

Now that was true. Kira _didn't_ like Jim. She didn't sense any evil intent from him; in fact, she'd seen what he'd done during the Clone Wars. She'd seen how he treated fellow soldiers and how he'd interacted with the refugees the 501st and 212th had worked together to save on a few occasions. All in all, Jim was a good man.

But there was the problem with Cadena and the Code she had sworn to uphold. She'd risked it all for this man. While her devotion was to be admired, Kira just couldn't understand why it was _Jim_ Cadena had recklessly abandoned the Code for. He was handsome, yes, but he'd had his own duties to the Republic. He was quiet, while Cadena had liked to talk. He thought through decisions, while Cadena rushed headlong into things without thinking of the long-term consequences.

"I like you just fine," Kira replied. "I'm sorry about your head. I didn't mean to hit you."

"I know. I was just teasing." Jim stuck his head close to the vaporator. "Aha!"

"What?" Kira uncrossed her legs and got up, coming over to see. "Did you find the problem?"

"Think so." Jim pulled a small laser out of his pocket and handed it to Kira. "Shine it on this little box for me, will you?"

Kira peeked over Jim's shoulder and found the box, then she turned on the laser and pointed it.

"Thanks." Jim peered inside, moving aside wiring before inserting the spanner into the top end of a screw. The little machine whirred for a few seconds and clicked off. Jim frowned. "Uh-oh." He tried again with the same result.

"What is it?" Kira asked, curious.

Jim pulled the spanner out of the vaporator, held it up, and turned it on. The machine whirred without clicking. "Well, it's not the spanner. Trade me." He took the laser out of Kira's hand and replaced it with the spanner.

Kira examined the spanner, careful not to prick a finger on the prongs. "Are you sure it's not the spanner? It looks old."

"No, it's not the spanner." Jim pointed the laser at the edges of the little box and cursed. "Poodoo."

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that something is dreadfully wrong with the vaporator."

"Not necessarily. I'm pretty sure I can have it fixed with a couple tweaks." Jim backed up and closed the side of the vaporator he'd been working on. "But now I won't know unless we have a broken-screw remover in that tool kit."

Kira had never even heard of such a thing. She walked over to the tool box and shuffled through it. "It's a basic kit," she reported. "I don't see anything unfamiliar."

Jim's shoulders sank. "Yeah, we're going to have to go grab one. We may as well grab some water while we're at it. I'm not going to be able to fix this thing for a few days." Frustrated, Jim kicked at the sand near the vaporator, wisely refraining from kicking the vaporator itself.

Kira raised an eye marking. "A broken-screw remover doesn't sound too hard to use," she commented. "Why the delay?"

"Because a broken-screw remover is a lot harder to deal with than it sounds," Jim explained. "It's a touchy thing. You have to be slow and careful not to apply too much force to the thing. Otherwise it'll break off right in your hand." To demonstrate, Jim made a cracking noise and pulled his hands apart. "Then you have to remove the broken screw _and_ the broken-screw remover."

"So you either have to do it over time or wait until you have time to do it all at once," Kira supplied, catching on. She wiped some sweat from her forehead. _This day just keeps getting better and better._

"Yeah." Jim knelt to pick up the tools scattered on the ground and put them back in the box, and Kira scrambled to help. "So if you would be so kind as to grab a broken-screw remover on your supply run, that would be fantastic."

"I'll see what I can do," Kira promised, wishing that the Code didn't prevent Jedi from revealing emotion.

At the very least, she wished that the Code didn't prevent frustrated teenage Padawans from revealing emotion.

* * *

 **Looks like the gang is running into a few problems...  
**

 **Kira: Are you serious? First I have to go a week without drinking tap water, and now I can't drink water at all?**

 **Me: Hey, you should be grateful you didn't drink the tap water.**

 **Obi-Wan: Yes. Remember what happened to Nate?**

 **Kira: I thought it was grilled cheese that caused him to get sick.**

 **Me: Same problematic bacteria, same symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.**

 **Obi-Wan: ...I don't think your readers want to read this, Amelia.**

 **Me: Yeah, I think you're right. Okay. Kira, do the review notice.**

 **Kira: ...you could at least say please. Can I at least pick a song?**

 **Me: Sure. Go ahead.**

 **Tablet: ...four that want to own me, two that want to stone me, one says she's a friend of mine...**

 **Me: Ooh. Nice choice.**

 **Kira: Thanks.**

 **Me: You still have to do the review notice.**

 **Kira: Darn. Okay, well, if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, please review and let Amy know. And actually review this time? She wasn't too happy when she only got one review on the last chapter.**

 **Obi-Wan: And she was already tired and grumpy because the plane was delayed and she didn't get to eat dinner.**

 **Me: Okay! I think that's enough of that. Thanks for clicking in, and may the Force be with you always! *waves hand* You will review this chapter...**


	5. I Punched A Hole In The Roof

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **So I don't really don't have any pre-chapter comments. I should probably point out, however, that I go back to school on Monday, so there may or may not be another long gap between stories. You have my word that I will do my best to prevent that!**

 **Thanks to blue candlelight 13 (I love that username! Sounds very poetic), Lux's Sister (yeah, poor Kira's sick of nerf bacon), and Solstix (dang, why is your school starting already?) for their reviews! As always, they are my fuel. :)**

 **Without further ado, I now present Chapter 5 of _Clean_! Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

Kira left for the Pika Oasis, Rooh in tow, long before Jim left for Anchorhead. This was done for two reasons. The first reason was that Kira didn't want to leave Obi-Wan alone with Anakin for too long. The second one was a little selfish, but rightfully so: Kira wanted to return to the hut before the sun got too high and the temperature got too hot. She'd heard many a tale from the men at the Anchorhead cantina she and Jim frequented of moisture farmers braving the elements. Few were ever heard from again, or so the stories went.

However, Kira had read quite a bit about desert planets, and she had come to the conclusion that most of the tales she had heard were mere exaggerations of true stories.

Rooh was calm on that morning, allowing Kira to lead her with no trouble. Kira saw this as a blessing, for she was in no mood to chase after a rambunctious animal. As the two creatures climbed over the dunes, the thick sand pulled at their legs and made the going slow. Rooh brayed nervously along the way, and every so often Kira patted the animal's snout to calm her.

At the Pika Oasis, Kira caught sight of Junia outside near a stable similar to the one at Mos Eisley. The woman lifted her head as Kira approached. "Eva!" the older woman called, lifting a hand in greeting. "Nice to see you again! Is your uncle about?"

Kira had to stop and remember that she was pretending to be the orphaned niece of a man named Ben before she answered. "No, ma'am. It's just me."

Junia clicked her tongue with disdain. "That man! I hope he knows where you are, young lady. It's not smart of him to let a young girl like yourself wander across the desert."

"Of course," Kira replied, holding back from telling Junia how she could certainly take care of herself. "Our vaporator is in need of repairs; I've come for supplies."

Junia softened considerably. "Well, put your steed in the stable, and I'll be happy to help you."

Kira gave a tight smile in response before she turned to lead Rooh into a stall.

Inside the general store, Junia stood behind the counter. "Now what is it you're after?"

"A broken-screw remover. And water."

Junia made a face as she turned to inspect the wares she had displayed behind the counter. "You can get the water from the shelves over there," she said, pointing. "I keep telling your uncle to watch his head. Is your vaporator that bad off?"

"Well, no." Kira went over to the shelves, as instructed. "My … older brother … thinks he can fix it, but he can't see the problem unless he has a broken-screw remover."

"I see." Junia plucked a tool from the display. "You're in luck. I have a couple of those in stock."

Kira sighed in relief. "Thank the Fo—" She caught herself just in time. "—maker."

Junia didn't notice the slip. "I suppose. Although I would be willing to drop the water price for Ben and his family."

"Better not let some of the characters on Tatooine hear you say that," Kira replied as she eased one of the water barrels out of its place on the shelf. "There are some who would take advantage of your compassion."

"But it is that way across the galaxy, child, not just here on Tatooine," Junia volleyed back. "There are some beings that would jump at the chance to exploit any shred of compassion they find."

"Don't I know it," Kira muttered as she stood.

Luckily, Junia either didn't hear or was kind enough not to mention the comment. Instead she sighed as she watched Kira approach with the water barrel. "I've never been so glad those things have repulsorlift technology. I can't imagine you carrying that thing halfway across the desert."

Kira smiled. "I, too, appreciate the ease with which it can be transported."

With that, the transaction was made. Junia rattled off the price, and Kira laid down the credits, which Junia happily took. "Do you want to stay awhile?" she offered.

Kira shook her head. "My thanks, but I have to decline. I promised I'd be back soon to help with the vaporator."

The cry of the krayt dragon echoed across the dunes, prompting both Kira and Junia to look up. Without a word, Junia went for the boxes of staffs and weaponry in the back, and Kira pushed her water barrel out of the way.

It wasn't long before people came running in. "It's the Lars' farm this time!" somebody called as Junia hauled out the boxes.

Kira lifted her head. The name had caught her attention. Hadn't she heard Obi-Wan mention that name once before? It'd had something to do with the baby he'd brought to Onderon before he'd retreated to Tatooine.

" _Vader has a stepbrother there…"_

Her movements as she helped pass out the staffs were almost robotic as she processed this information. When it finally clicked, she looked up and noted how few people were in the store, ready to go fend off the Tuskens.

She didn't have her lightsaber. She couldn't use the Force. But there was something she could do, and that was help keep baby Luke safe. The galaxy needed all the Force-sensitives it could get. And there was certainly no harm in helping to protect the locals.

Almost before she knew it, Kira had handed out one more staff, then picked up one of her own. "I'm coming, too," she announced.

Junia was closest to Kira, and as such she was first to react. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed, grabbing Kira's arm. "If I remember correctly, Ben doesn't want you going out with the posse."

"True," Kira confessed. "But this planet is to be my new home, and I guess I'd better start pulling my own weight around here."

The posse members nearby looked delighted with this proclamation. Seeing so many eyes on her, Junia harrumphed and released Kira. "Fine. I'll look after your purchases," she relented. "But if your uncle gets angry, it's not my fault!"

Before Junia could change her mind, a boy not much older than Jim stepped forward. "Come on," he said to Kira with a friendly smile. "There's room in our speeder, and we could always use the extra help."

With that, he swept Kira out of the store and into the crowd of posse members.

As the boy dragged Kira through the crowd toward a dusty red speeder, he called, "I'm Ven. Didn't catch your name!"

"It's Eva!" Kira called back over the din of the crowd.

They came to an abrupt stop at the speeder, where Ven gestured to the front passenger seat, indicating that Kira should sit there, before jumping into the driver's seat. "Well, Eva," he shouted as he started the engine, "hop in!"

That's exactly what Kira did.

Before the speeder left its parking space outside the general store, two other young adults hitched a ride. Ven introduced Kira to his older sister Mik and their younger brother Ian as he drove the speeder after the others in the posse. Both were as friendly as their brother, with Mik even going so far as to clap Kira on the shoulder as if they'd been friends a long time. "It's nice to have another girl in the posse," she said, shading her eyes from the sun and the sand. "Hope you're good with a weapon. Sounds like we've got our work cut out for us."

Kira merely smiled, happy to be included.

At the Lars' farm, the round structure of the desert dwelling was surrounded by sand people. A few were attempting to knock down the vaporator. Others were preparing to enter the dwelling, their cries loud and terrible.

Ven was the first of the posse to jump out of his speeder. "Come on!" he yelled, and soon the rest of the posse had their feet on the sand, running toward the raiders. The cries of the posse frightened the raiders away from the vaporator, but the posse members chased after the raiders for good measure, whooping and hollering the whole way.

Kira was one to stay behind and go after the other Tuskens who had surrounded the desert house. These raiders were more willing to stand their ground than the others who had fled at the first sign of trouble, so it was good that the majority of the posse had elected to stay at the dwelling. A Tusken came at Kira almost immediately, and she raised her staff to protect herself. With a whoop, the raider hit her staff with his own with force that almost knocked Kira over. Gritting her teeth, she parried, feeling her muscles relax as they remembered her saber training at the Temple. The Tusken and Kira kept at it until the raider deviated from his path and attempted to ram his staff down on Kira's head. Seeing an opening, she dodged the attack and plunged her staff into the raider's stomach. He went down with a sharp groan.

The Force screamed with warning, and Kira whipped around just before another raider descended on her. With a shout, she slammed her staff against the Tusken's, creating a resounding _clang._ Kira kicked out a leg and sent the Tusken sprawling on the sand. He growled as he dragged himself up, a hand reaching for Kira's leg to return the favor.

Before he could, however, Kira stomped hard on his hand, and his screech alerted his comrades to his predicament. A few left the humans they had previously been battling to come to the fallen Tusken's aid. Kira found herself faced with three raiders. She narrowed her eyes against the harsh sunlight and got into position.

The first was dead in seconds. The second was down within a few moments. The third was a little harder, especially since Kira's bad knee had begun to groan in protest. "Not now," she muttered, sweat beading the side of her face as she whirled to avoid the Tusken's offense.

And promptly fell, ending up with a face full of sand.

The Tusken raised his staff and slammed it down hard, narrowly missing Kira and spraying sand into her eyes. Blinking to rid her eyes of the rough grains, she relied on the Force to guide her away from the raider's attacks. Eventually she was able to prop herself up, just in time to block another attack.

Enraged, the Tusken lunged forward; Kira jumping back to avoid the blow. It was the desert house that took the hit, the staff leaving a huge dent in the side. Kira sprang to end the raider and was met with a strong kick to the chest. The wind knocked out of her, she stumbled and fell, this time unable to prop herself up for longer than a few seconds. Her knee screamed in pain, rendering her utterly useless.

Fortunately, Mik and a few other posse members had distracted the raider from his intended target, and Kira was able to recover her breath. By the time she could sit up, however, she found that the raider had been killed, and that the battle was over. Sighing in relief, she crawled onto her knees to pick herself back up.

A shadow fell across Kira, and she squinted up to see Mik, who reached out her hand. "You okay?" the older girl asked, concerned. "It looked like you took a pretty bad fall from where I was."

Feeling her face redden as she took Mik's hand, Kira nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I'm alright."

Mik steadied Kira as she got her bearings. "Take it easy," she advised. "Get your breath, alright? You've done more than enough today. You're quite the fencer."

Kira stiffened, hoping Mik didn't suspect anything. However, there wasn't anything to worry about. Mik was too excited about the battle that had just finished. "I haven't seen them come out here in a long time, and definitely not in those numbers!" she chattered. "But we still won! We still won!"

Kira nodded tiredly. She almost didn't notice when the owners of the homestead emerged to see what damage had been done, but when she saw the baby nestled in the young woman's arms, she excused herself from Mik and her friends to speak to them. "Mr. and Mrs. Lars?"

The two men who'd emerged were busy inspecting the vaporator, but the woman turned to Kira with a joyful smile. "Please, call me Beru," she said.

"Of course." Kira straightened. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Not at all," Beru replied, "thanks to all of you and your efforts."

Before Kira could reply, a familiar voice carried above the victory celebrations of the posse, and she froze. "Well, Owen, as exciting as this has been, I must take my leave."

"Of course," Owen replied. "Get out of here before you cause any more trouble. Tuskens are drawn to you like water molecules to each other."

"Now, Owen, don't be superstitious. Ben is a perfectly fine man," Beru called.

"He's trouble is what he is," the skittish Owen replied as he and Obi-Wan turned from the vaporator.

Kira went rigid as Obi-Wan's blue eyes locked onto hers. As he raised an eyebrow – oh, how she _hated_ when he did that – he commented, "I wondered where you'd gone off to."

* * *

 **Me: B-U-S-T-E-D, you are BUSTED! :D**

 **Kira: You have got to be kidding me.**

 **Me: Nope!**

 **Obi-Wan: I'm not quite sure how to respond to this.**

 **Me: And you're not going to respond until next chapter.**

 **Kira: Thank the Force!**

 **Me: SHH! Can't say that, remember? Imperials are EVERYWHERE.**

 **Kira: But-**

 **Me: No buts!**

 **Obi-Wan: I think somebody's a little hyper this afternoon.**

 **Me: Yeah, I am. Not sure why. Anyway, who wants to pick the song?**

 **Kira: Do I have to do the review notice?**

 **Me: Nah. I'm gonna make Obi-Wan do it today.**

 **Kira: Then I'll pick!**

 **Obi-Wan: Wait, what did I do?**

 **Me: *shrug* Nothing. I just want you to do it.**

 **Obi-Wan: Blast.**

 **Tablet: Most girls are post-traumatic-stresses, like fight-or-flighters, up all night untangling their messes...**

 **Me: Alright, Obi, take it away!**

 **Obi-Wan: *facepalm* Please review if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn. Thank you in advance.**

 **Me: Awesome.**

 **Kira: Don't forget the other thing.**

 **Me: Oh, right! Okay, so if you go to my YouTube channel, you'll find playlists corresponding to the _Eyes Open_ fics (well, except the first). I like listening to music while I write these and thought y'all might like to see what I listen to. Anyway.**

 **Kira: So, if you want to make Amy's day, go listen while you read and tell her what you think.**

 **Me: What she said. All right, y'all, we'll see you Saturday! Thanks for clicking in, and may the Force be with you always! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go dance to this awesome song. See ya next time!**


	6. Don't Mean You Don't Miss It

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **So - back to two reviews again. I must admit, I'm getting increasingly frustrated with this situation. Just saying.**

 **Thanks to Lux's Sister and blue candlelight 13 for their reviews, which, as always, make me smile!**

 **Without further ado, I now present Chapter 6 of _Clean_! Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

"I must admit, I was quite surprised to see you with the posse," Obi-Wan remarked as Kira sheepishly pushed the water barrel beside him. "I can't help wondering how you ended up there."

Kira sighed. "I wouldn't have gone if it hadn't been the Lars."

"You went because of Luke, didn't you?"

"Because of Luke," Kira replied with a nod.

"Ah." Obi-Wan laid a firm but gentle hand on Kira's shoulder, stopping her. "I certainly can't fault your reasoning, but I do wish you had at least considered the danger you were putting yourself in."

"Are you telling me droids aren't dangerous, Master?" Kira joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Not at all." Obi-Wan lightly squeezed her shoulder, a rare gesture of affection. "But these are dangerous times. It's not like the war, where we could openly gallivant about the galaxy. If someone were to even remotely suspect you of using the Force…" He released Kira and trailed off, leaving her to fill in the blank. "Let's just say it would not behoove you to call attention to yourself."

Kira cast her gaze downwards at the top of the water barrel, her finger absentmindedly tracing the small ridges and grooves in the lid. "I don't know what else to do, Master," she murmured.

"Pardon?"

"I said, I don't know what else to do." Kira lifted her head to meet Obi-Wan's eyes. "I can't do anything about the Empire. I can't go around fighting the last remnants of the droid armies. But I can still help those around me who need help." She bowed her head respectfully. "The skirmish today taught me that. I would … like to continue going out with the posse, if I may."

Obi-Wan regarded Kira for a moment, hand reaching up to stroke his beard as he contemplated her request. Finally he sighed submissively. "In a galaxy where so many wouldn't dare stick their necks out for another sentient, I cannot find it in myself to refuse you," he said.

Kira relaxed, a grin spreading across her face. "Thank you, Mas – Ben." The grin faded a little. "Thank you."

They started walking again. "Do be careful, though," Obi-Wan said as they walked. "It would not do for you to get yourself injured."

"Don't worry about me," Kira said, biting her tongue to keep herself from addressing him as "Master." "Just take care of yourself and let me worry about the rest."

* * *

And there was plenty of worrying for Kira to do.

First, there was Anakin's rowdiness to be concerned with. The young boy did not like being cooped up inside all the time, but there was nowhere for Kira to take him. After that first trek across the desert with Obi-Wan, Kira was unwilling to take Anakin on such a long walk again for fear she may lose him.

Second, there was an odd attitude change on Obi-Wan's part. Small things seemed to irritate the man famous in the Jedi Order for his seemingly infinite patience. He never said a word, but Kira could detect the small sighs and the shift in his tone. When Anakin accidentally spilled a cup of blue milk a few rotations after Kira joined the posse, the liquid spilled onto Obi-Wan and stained his robe. He stood up from his seat without a word and went to go change, but not before a small humph issued from his throat.

Kira communicated her concern with a raised eye marking. Obi-Wan responded with the tiniest shake of his head.

Third, there was the vaporator. Jim hadn't found the time to use the broken-screw remover to fix it. Though Kira had offered to take care of the problem herself, Jim had declined with the excuse that he wanted to be the one to blame if the expensive tool got damaged. This did nothing to quell Kira's impatience. Money was tight as it was – they couldn't afford to keep paying for water, no matter how much Junia was willing to lower the price.

Kira did take some comfort in the trips she took with the posse to various farms around the desert. Kira had taken to keeping her staff close at hand in case the Call was put to use and she needed to leave the hut quickly. When the cry of the krayt dragon rang across the dunes, Mik and Ven soon appeared in their speeder to pick Kira up on their way to the afflicted farm.

One morning, Kira had just finished feeding Anakin his breakfast of jogan pieces when the Call rang out. Kira had just enough time to grab her staff and a cloak before the speeder approached. Kira alerted Obi-Wan to her departure and ran outside toward the speeder. "Where is it this time?" she asked as she climbed in.

Ven took off. "The Verso farm this time," he replied. "At least that's where it sounds like it's coming from."

"It does sound a little closer than usual," Kira observed.

The attack was quickly fought off. The Tuskens that had attacked were skittish, and posse members quickly drove them off into the rocky canyons nearby. Little blood on either side was shed, although a few posse members did sustain some minor injuries. To thank the posse, Mrs. Verso offered breakfast – and didn't take no for an answer.

The posse took their plates outside so they wouldn't crowd the Verso kitchen. Ven went to join his friends while Mik and Kira ate together at the side of the courtyard. "Your brother fix the vaporator yet?" Mik asked Kira, who'd told her about Jim's reluctance to complete the project.

Kira sipped her blue milk, then shook her head. "I have a mind to fix it myself."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Mik advised, "since you don't have much mechanical experience. You shouldn't use a broken-screw remover if you don't have some help."

Kira knew her friend was right, but the reminder still frustrated her. "Well, he's not helping much."

"Hey." Mik shook Kira's shoulder affectionately. "Remember, I've got a brother, too. It'll all work out." She leaned closer to whisper. "If I were you, I'd nag him about it until he fixes it. That should work."

The suggestion made Kira smile. "Are you suggesting I annoy him into doing what I want him to do?"

Mik smirked. "Basically."

Kira had to admit, it was a clever strategy. In a worst-case scenario, she would certainly put the suggestion into practice.

But only if push came to shove. Kira was not a nagging sort of person.

Mik stood up and walked away, leaving her plate in her place. "I'll be back. Gotta use the 'fresher."

"I'll be here," Kira replied, taking another bite of the deb-deb fruit on her plate. It was easy to let the sweet juice slip down one's chin, so Kira was very careful as she bit into it. Her efforts were futile, however, and she soon found her face sticky with the juice. She looked around for her napkin and was disappointed to find that she had misplaced it somewhere. "Poodoo."

Standing, Kira went to grab another napkin from the kitchen and clean herself up. On her way back to the outdoor courtyard, Mik's voice floated from behind an alcove. Another voice, tinny and slightly artificial, accompanied Mik's. Obviously Mik was talking to a hologram. This was not abnormal in itself, but when Kira heard the electronic voice mention her alias, she stopped cold.

" _What about this Eva you've mentioned?"_

"She's great with a staff. Surely she could help?"

" _Perhaps. How old is she?"_

"Somewhere around fourteen or fifteen. Not much older than Ian."

There was a pause. _"I don't like the idea of sending a child into battle."_

Mik scoffed. "Didn't the Jedi Order send Padawans as young as twelve into battle against the Separatists?"

" _I do hope you are keeping your voice down. The Empire has arrested Coruscanti for merely speaking of the Jedi Order."_

Kira was sure she'd heard the electronic voice before. Nevertheless, apparently Obi-Wan's fears had been realized, and Kira had inadvertently drawn attention to herself. She had to get out of there, fast. Quickly and quietly she headed back to the courtyard to gather her things.

"Hey, Mik? Are you ready to go?" Ven's dark head appeared around the corner. Catching sight of Kira, he grinned. "Fantastic. At least I don't have to hunt both you girls down. Ian and I are ready to go. Do you want a ride back to that desert hut of your uncle's?"

Kira would've rather ridden with someone else, _anyone_ else, but she forced a smile. Ven and Mik had been her only ride ever since she'd started coming on excursions with the posse, and she couldn't very well ask someone else to take her home on such short notice. "Sure. Yeah. That would be great."

"Great. Now I just have to find Mik." Ven ran a hand through his hair, his other hand on his waist. "Have you seen her? I can't find her anywhere."

"Nope." The lie slipped easily through Kira's teeth. "Haven't seen her."

"Did I hear my name?" Mik strode into the courtyard, pocketing something Kira was sure was a hologram projector.

"Huh. Is the galaxy ending?" Ven commented, crossing his arms and smirking at Mik. "For once, my sister actually has great timing."

Mik playfully shoved her brother back a few inches. "Shut your mouth, Ven Behov. Ready to go?"

"Yeah. That's actually why we were talking about you." Ven adjusted the staff on his back as Kira approached. "Let's go before it gets too hot."

So the three said goodbye to the rest of the posse and went to clamber into Ven's speeder. Kira beat Mik to the back, garnering an odd look from Ven. "Aw, come on, Eva," he joked. "I don't bite."

"I'm good back here," Kira replied, wondering how much longer she could keep up a carefree front. "There's more leg room."

Ven shrugged. "Suit yourself, I guess."

Mik slid into the front beside Ven. "Hey, it's okay. I don't get a whole lot of quality time with my baby brother, anyway," she teased, reaching over to ruffle Ven's hair.

"'M not a baby," Ven muttered as he revved the speeder engine.

Kira raised an eye marking as she listened to the two siblings banter on the way back to the desert hut. Not for the first time, she wondered what it might have been like if she had had a sibling. There had been a set of twins in the Jedi Order called Tiplee and Tiplar. Though the Code forbade attachment, the two sisters had been joined at the hip.

Tiplar had died before the war ended. Tiplee had been devastated. In the end, she, too, had died at the hands of the clones responding to Order 66.

Kira shook away the thoughts.

The speeder pulled up close to the desert dwelling, and Ven cut the engines so Kira could climb out. "Thanks for the ride," she said politely as she pulled her staff out of the back seat.

"It's no trouble," Mik said with a smile. "As Ven has said before, the posse needs all the help it can get."

"Unless it's a raid like this morning's," Ven snorted.

Mik flicked Ven's ear, but she couldn't disagree. "Okay, so today's raid wasn't that exciting. But still."

Kira nodded in acknowledgement. "Most days it gets chaotic."

"Just a little, yeah."

Kira smiled, though she would've liked nothing more than to run inside the hut. Mik's gaze was trained on her, making her feel as if she was a jackrab facing an anooba about to pounce. "Anyway, thanks," she said, turning away to head inside.

Kira heard the engines of the speeder activate behind her, then she heard something else over the roar of the engines. "And Eva!"

Turning back around, Kira waited.

Mik hung over the side of the speeder. "Find me next time you're at the oasis."

Kira licked her dry lips before she responded. "Sure. I will."

"Great." Mik flashed a smile as she settled back into her seat, and Kira lifted a hand in goodbye as the speeder took off.

Once the dust cloud following the speeder cleared, Kira trudged through the sand toward the hut. No one came to greet her at the door, which was fine. That meant there was no one to scold her for dumping her gear just inside the door. However, once she leaned against the wall and caught her breath, she called into the house, "Jim, we _really_ need to fix that vaporator!"

* * *

 **Poor Kira. I think she's close to the end of her rope.  
**

 **Kira: You don't say. -_-**

 **Jim: Well, I hope she doesn't follow Mik's advice and start nagging me to death.**

 **Kira: I might, if you annoy me enough.**

 **Me: Guys? Our readers are right there.**

 **Jim: Oh. *waves***

 **Kira: Sorry about that.**

 **Me: Moving on. Who wants to do the review notice?**

 **Everyone: *shrinks***

 **Me: Hmm ... *points to Jim* I think I'll have you do it this time.**

 **Jim: Wait, why me? What'd I do?**

 **Me: What _didn't_ you do?**

 **Kira: *snickers***

 **Jim: Can I at least pick the song?**

 **Tablet: A picture perfect night, everything goes right, until she says we're through...**

 **Me: *shifts eyes to Kira, who looks very sheepish* I think Kira already took care of that.**

 **Jim: Drat. Fine. Review if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn. *pouts***

 **Kira: That's the best you're going to get out of him.**

 **Me: Don't I know it. Alright, readers, thanks for clicking in, and may the Force be with you always! Please don't forget to review on your way out. Please? With Artoo on top?**


	7. I Screamed So Loud

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **Well, I've had the chapter ready for a while. I just kept forgetting to post it! It seems I will need to change my updating schedule, since I have school on Mondays and other things on Thursdays.**

 **And, to tell you the truth, it's probably going to get worse. I actually just got hired for my first job, which I'm really ecstatic about! It just means the minimal writing time I have now has decreased even more. So - I'm sorry about that.**

 **Thanks to Lux's Sister, Solstix, DrOvertime, and katierosefun for their reviews, which continue to make my day!**

 **And now, without further ado, I now present Chapter 7 of _Clean_! Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

The project was a painstakingly slow process, and by the time it was done, Kira and Jim were covered in sand and grease, but at long last the vaporator was fixed a few evenings after Kira came home from the raid at the Versos'. Kira sighed in relief when Jim handed her a cup of water from the newly repaired contraption, for she had more than one reason to be grateful the thing was functioning properly again.

"Hopefully we won't be needing this again," Jim said as he brushed the sand off the broken-screw remover before placing it in the toolbox.

"Hopefully," Kira agreed, sipping the water. "Did you accidentally hit a setting while you were fixing that? This water tastes sweeter than normal."

Jim shrugged. "I have no idea. Maybe it's old Ben's special formula." He winked.

Kira took another drink of the water to hide her grimace. The name "Ben," at least for her Master, still sounded harsh to her ears.

Jim slipped the spanner into the toolbox and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his wrist. "What do you say we head to Anchorhead tonight to celebrate?"

"I wouldn't exactly call watching the Imperial Holonet a celebration," Kira said, "but you have yourself a deal." Their trips had become routine to Kira, and she did like consistency. "Just let me check with Obi – Ben, I mean – to make sure he doesn't mind watching Anakin."

Jim picked up the toolbox on their way back to the hut. "I don't think he'll mind." He glanced at Kira with concern. "You've taken a lot of the responsibility for Anakin lately, but leave some for me, alright? I am his father, after all."

Kira shrugged. "I just don't want anything to happen to him. I promised – I promised Cadena I would take care of him."

"Oh." Jim's joking manner became solemn. "You two were best friends, and you want to honor your promise to Cadena. I get that. But I'm still Anakin's father, and trust me when I say no one in the galaxy loves him as much as I do." He turned to face Kira. "I'm serious. You're not his mother. Leave his upbringing to me."

That stung, and Kira's eyes narrowed. "I know I'm not his mother," she spat, venom lacing her words. "No one could ever be. But at least I'm trying, which is more than I can say for _you._ " With that, she spun on her heel and stalked into the dwelling, kicking up sand behind her. She hoped some of it had hit Jim in the eye.

Inside, Obi-Wan looked up from Anakin and the tooka doll. "What is it?" he asked as Kira sauntered past him.

"Nothing a good meditation session can't fix," Kira volleyed back, knowing full well it was going to take _several_ meditation sessions to clear her mind after this incident.

* * *

Jim did not change his plans to head to Anchorhead that evening, and he made sure to let Kira know she was still invited to come along. She decided to go with him, the only reason being that she wanted to know what was happening in the galaxy outside their little corner of the Outer Rim. Obi-Wan observed Kira curiously as she and Jim got ready to leave, but he made no comment and asked no questions.

Kira couldn't decide if she was grateful for or frustrated by Obi-Wan's indifference.

"I just put Anakin to bed," Jim was saying to Obi-Wan. "He shouldn't be any trouble. If he wakes up, just tell him a short story to get him back to sleep."

Kira cleared her throat, and Jim shot her a pointed glare. "What?"

With one eye marking raised, Kira replied, "A warm glass of blue milk would help, too."

Jim chose to ignore her reminder. "Anyway. We should be back shortly, sometime between 2100 and 2200 at the latest."

"That's a rather wide time window," Obi-Wan remarked, eyes sliding from Kira to Jim and back again.

"We just don't want you to worry about us, that's all," Kira said, stepping toward the door. "I have my comm should our plans change."

Jim followed behind her, waving goodbye. "We'll see you soon."

"Goodbye," Obi-Wan replied. Kira felt his eyes on the back of her neck as they departed.

Both Kira and Jim were quiet on the way to the speeder that Jim had parked behind the dwelling, and they were equally silent on the ride to Anchorhead.

* * *

Kira tossed a few credits on the counter. "Another cup of muja juice, if you please," she said to the bartender, who grunted as he scooped up the credits and turned to fill her cup. Kira watched him closely to make sure he didn't put anything funny in her drink.

Jim observed as the bartender handed Kira her muja juice. "Isn't that your third cup?" he asked.

Kira swallowed the sip she'd just taken before she answered. "I feel like splurging a little," she told him. And she did. The news was rarely good news lately, but tonight's news was dragging memories and what-ifs and wishful thinking to the forefront of Kira's thoughts. An old Bergruutfa clan mate by the name of Garen Chang had been captured the year prior, tried this year, and executed on this rotation. Other Padawans and a few Knights were also mentioned on the report, and Kira thanked the Force when she didn't see Caleb or any other Padawans that she'd made friends with during her time at the Temple.

Jim patted Kira's shoulder. "You didn't get the juice spiked, did you?"

At that, Kira stared at Jim incredulously. "How stupid do you think I am?"

Jim raised his hands in surrender. "I'm just checking! Desperate people do desperate things sometimes." He looked away. "I should know."

Kira studied Jim for a moment, polished off the juice, and pushed the cup away. "Ready?"

"Have you seen all you wanted to see?" Jim asked, surprised. Typically they stayed at the cantina for about two hours. It had only been about an hour.

Kira nodded. "If I watch any more, I think I'll get sick," she said as she hopped down from her stool.

"Very well."

They were as quiet in the speeder on the way home as they had been on the way to Anchorhead, but this time the silence was more companionable than awkward. After Jim parked the speeder, he went around to the other side to stand beside Kira as she climbed out. "Listen," he said, running a hand through his sandy hair. "I'm sorry for earlier. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I mean, Anakin loves you. You're great with him, and I appreciate all you're doing. I guess I'm just worried Anakin's going to start thinking _you're_ his mother, and that he'll forget Cadena."

Kira placed a hand on Jim's shoulder. "I never tried to replace Cadena," she said softly.

"I know."

"I'm sorry, too. I should not have lashed out at you. It's not the Jedi way."

Jim shook his head sadly. "Eva – Kira – the Jedi are gone. It's probably a good thing that you reacted. We have to blend in."

"I'm always going to be a Padawan at heart, Jim. Nothing will change that."

Kira dropped her hand and turned to head inside; Jim followed, hands in his pockets. Inside, the two went their separate ways, Kira to take off her cloak and Jim to check on Anakin. Kira allowed a small smile as she passed Anakin's room and saw Jim poking his head around the doorframe to look in on his son.

When Kira emerged from her room, she heard voices in Obi-Wan's room. Thinking it was Jim and Obi-Wan speaking about the news, she went to join them.

She was startled when she caught a glimpse of Jim in the kitchen.

Frowning, Kira decided to investigate. She remembered to raise her mental shields before she approached Obi-Wan's door so he would be unlikely to detect her presence. To her surprise and alarm, the voice that wasn't Obi-Wan's sounded just like the voice Mik had been speaking to a few days earlier!

But at least she could relax again. If Obi-Wan trusted whoever the voice belonged to, Kira could as well, and by extension she could trust Mik. She exhaled slowly, as if letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"— _we need you, Master Kenobi. And we need her, too."_

"I must tell you, Senator. It unnerves me that your source has been stalking my Padawan."

" _She has not been stalking your student, Master. I am not a predator. They merely happen to be in many places at the same time, and my source sees promise. If my source_ was _stalking your Padawan, as you accuse her of doing, she would be outside your dwelling right now."_

"I suppose that is true."

" _This is not a coercion effort, Master Kenobi."_

"Understood."

" _But you have not answered my question. Will you bring this conversation up to her?"_

"I will not, Senator Organa. While I appreciate your efforts and what you are doing for the galaxy, my place is here. I _must_ take care of the Skywalker boy, and I must take care of my apprentice as well. I cannot do that from across the galaxy."

There was a sigh on the other end of the call. _"Very well. Perhaps when she is older, then."_

"Perhaps." Obi-Wan did not sound convinced.

" _Take care, Master Kenobi."_

"You as well, Senator. Farewell."

Kira quickly stepped away from the door before Obi-Wan noticed she was there and headed for the kitchen. Her mind raced, making her feel slightly dizzy. She was careful not to show it; who knew what Jim would tell Obi-Wan?

The young man looked up as Kira entered the kitchen and held up the pitcher of blue milk. "Want some?" he asked. "I'd be happy to pour you a glass."

Suddenly, Kira found herself wanting a glass of blue milk. "That would be great, Jim," she said, pulling up a chair. "Thank you."

Jim handed her the glass and put the pitcher back in the cooling unit. "Have you talked to Ben yet?" he asked. "He probably wants to hear the news."

Kira shook her head. "He was talking to somebody. I haven't gotten to talk to him yet."

"I see."

The two sipped their blue milk in silence as they waited for Obi-Wan to arrive. When a few minutes had passed and Kira had finished her blue milk, she got up to wash her glass. "I'm going to bed," she murmured as she rinsed the soap out of the glass.

"Tired?"

"Yeah."

Jim nodded. "Good night, then."

"Good night, Jim."

Kira climbed into bed a few moments later with a heavy heart and a lot to think about. Some hopeful, optimistic part of her had believed that Garen would hold out until this fiasco was over, and though that part had dwindled over the course of the past year, she'd hoped and prayed he would pull through.

Now that she had become acquainted with the nature of this Empire, she realized that it had been a miracle that Garen had survived as long as he had.

The conversation she'd overheard overtook her thoughts next. Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan, the man she now knew Mik had been speaking to, had been an ally of the Jedi Order. It was a wonder he still served in the Senate, since Kira had heard he'd been opposed to the idea of an Empire.

So much, in fact, that in the darkest, dankest levels of Coruscant, there were rumors that he was planning to lead a rebellion.

He'd said he needed Obi-Wan _and_ her, and Kira had no doubt it was to help with this rebellion.

Obi-Wan did have a mission here on Tatooine. Kira understood why he'd said no to the offer. It was why he said no for her that confused her. She was good in a fight – Obi-Wan knew this. She knew how to get information; Obi-Wan knew this, too. Most importantly, she wanted this Empire _gone,_ and there was no possible way Obi-Wan could have missed _that._

So the fact that her Master was keeping this secret from her made her absolutely _livid._

Sighing as she pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders, Kira closed her eyes, loathing the anger burning in her chest.

* * *

 **Ouch. That was a harsh blow.  
**

 **Kira: No kidding.**

 **Me: You know he just wants you to be safe, right?**

 **Kira: I don't care.**

 **Jim: If she was mad at me earlier, I don't think I want to see her when she's livid.**

 **Me: I guess we'll see next chapter. Ehehehe.**

 **Jim: Oh no.**

 **Me: Oh yes.**

 **Kira: Cut it out, you two. -_-**

 **Jim: Geez. She really is peeved, isn't she?**

 **Me: You said it, and because I'm afraid to see what she'd do if I made her do the review notice, you're doing it today, Jim.**

 **Jim: But I did it last time!**

 **Me: I don't really want to lose my life today, Jim.**

 **Kira: *inspects fingernails casually***

 **Jim: Point taken. Can I at least pick the song, though?**

 **Tablet: No one has to know, it can just be you and me alone...**

 **Me: ...oops.**

 **Kira: Where have I seen this before?  
**

 **Me: Yeah, I'm getting some deja vu, too. Never mind that for now. Jim?**

 **Jim: Yeah, yeah. Review if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn. Maybe it'll get Kira to stop being mad.**

 **Me: Worth a shot. Alright, readers. Thanks for clicking in, and may the Force be with you always! I'll try not to forget to actually post the chapter on Monday. Again, sorry about that.**


	8. There Was Nothing Left To Do

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **Well, the end's coming up fast. Really fast. I'm kind of looking forward to the end, and I'm kind of not looking forward to it. Quite a paradox, am I right?**

 **Thanks to katierosefun and Lux's Sister for their reviews - which, as always, make my day!**

 **Now, without further ado, I present Chapter 8 of** _ **Clean**_ **! Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

"Is there anything else that we need to get?"

Kira shook her head. "I believe that's everything."

It had been two months since the conversation Kira had overhead. Two months of monotony. Two months of waiting for a chance to reply to Senator Organa's plea.

Two months she could've been doing something, wasted.

Now, as Kira watched Jim and Obi-Wan prepare to leave for the Pika Oasis, her heart banged against her chest with anticipation of what she planned to do while they were gone. Anakin would take his afternoon nap while they were gone, and it was then she intended to contact the senator and volunteer for his cause. Of course, there would be other issues to contend with, such as the matter of getting off-planet and the necessities she would need to take along with her.

But that could be dealt with later.

Anakin squealed beside Kira, shaking her out of her thoughts, and raised his arms. Kira raised an eye marking, amused. "Don't forget to say goodbye before you leave, Jim," she said.

"Of course not!" Jim crossed the room in a few strides and swung Anakin up into his arms. "How could Daddy ever forget to tell you bye-bye, Anakin?"

Anakin dug his fists into Jim's shirt and hid his face in his father's shoulder. "No bye-bye," he whined.

"Oh, Anakin." Jim hugged Anakin close. "I'll come back. You know I will."

Kira looked away from the father and son and went to say goodbye to Obi-Wan. "When do you think you'll be back?" she asked him, trying not to seem too curious.

"A few hours at most." Obi-Wan's blue eyes seemed to see straight through Kira. "Why do you ask?"

Kira picked at a loose thread in her tunic, feigning nonchalance. "No reason."

"Hmm." Obi-Wan studied Kira for a moment. "I am surprised you elected not to come on this outing."

"I would prefer not to have to make the trek with Anakin," Kira replied smoothly, "and we certainly can't leave him here alone." It was only a partial lie; Kira hated the idea of taking Anakin across the desert. She had immediately volunteered to stay in the hut with him when Jim brought up the fact that they needed to go on another supply run, leaving Obi-Wan to be the extra pair of hands. Now her Master gazed at her thoughtfully, causing her to wonder if perhaps he knew what she was preparing to do.

At least he didn't raise his eyebrow.

"Anyway, I have the flimsi," Jim was saying as he put Anakin back on the ground and moved to join Obi-Wan and Kira. "And you and I both have our comms. If there's something else –"

"I'll contact you, Jim, but truly, there's nothing else we need." Would they never leave?

Jim shrugged. "Alright. Just making sure." He reached for the control panel to open the door. "Ready, Ben?"

"As I'll ever be." Once Jim opened the door, Obi-Wan stepped outside and looked at Kira over his shoulder. "We will be back shortly."

"Take as long as you need," Kira replied sincerely, closing the door behind the two men.

Anakin stood near the window, staring forlornly outside as he watched his father get into the speeder. "I want Da," he stated, lower lip protruding a little.

Kira knelt beside the toddler and gently rubbed his back. "You heard your father," she said quietly. "He'll be back."

Anakin stopped pouting and tilted his head, curious. "Why are you sa?"

Kira blinked. "Pardon?"

"You're sa."

"Sad?" At Anakin's nod, Kira realized that the boy could sense her feelings. Even as young as he was, he could see straight through her, just like his mother could. "You're a fortunate young boy, Anakin. That is all."

"Why?"

"Because my father never came back for me."

Anakin reached up. Kira took the hint and picked him up. "That wasn't nice," he stated, as if they had never ceased talking.

Kira had to chuckle at Anakin's childish certainty that everything he said must be correct. "No, I suppose it wasn't," she replied, bopping his nose. "But your father loves you very much. You couldn't ask for a better one."

Giggling, Anakin hid his head in Kira's shoulder. Then he looked up, stared as if he was about to inquire about something else, and yawned. Kira grinned. "Now I think it's time for your nap."

Even as he yawned again, Anakin tried to protest. "Dui hafta?" he asked, speech garbled by his yawn.

"Yes, you do. Now come on."

It wasn't like Anakin had any choice in the matter, so he lay back down on Kira's shoulder while she carried him to his room. Kira pulled back the blanket with her free hand, placed Anakin on the mattress, and removed his small shoes. Once he got comfortable in his bed, Kira tucked the blanket over the toddler. She rubbed Anakin's shoulder soothingly before turning to go.

Kira was stopped by a tug on her sleeve. Turning, she saw Anakin sitting up slightly. "What is it? You need to get some rest."

Anakin shrugged.

Kira raised an eye marking. "You'll have to tell me what it is you want, Anakin. Do you want me to sing?" Anakin liked her to sing him to sleep sometimes.

But that wasn't it. Anakin shook his head.

"Your tooka?" Kira picked it up from where it had been tossed on the floor earlier.

Another shake.

"Then what is it?"

Anakin huffed, clearly frustrated she couldn't read his mind. "Thirsty."

"Now why couldn't you have just said that a few moments ago? Stay here." Kira left the room and headed to the kitchen. More often than not, Anakin liked to have a glass of warm blue milk before he went to sleep.

A few minutes later, Kira returned to see Anakin sitting up in bed. "Be careful," she said as she handed him the warm glass. "Don't spill it."

Anakin took the glass with a mumbled "thank you" and downed the whole thing in a few gulps before handing the glass back to Kira. "Can I have my tooka?"

Sighing, Kira bent to pick up the tooka and hand it to Anakin, who hugged it close and shut his eyes. "Now get some rest, Anakin. I'll see you when you wake up."

"M'kay," was the only response Kira got as she left the room and quietly shut the door behind her. Anakin had never been one of those kids who are scared of the dark, something Kira was grateful for.

For a few moments, Kira stayed in the kitchen and waited for Anakin to fall asleep, for it certainly would not do to have him walk in on her while she was speaking with Senator Organa. She bobbed up and down on the balls of her feet as she waited impatiently.

At last, Kira decided that she had waited long enough and made her way out of the kitchen toward Obi-Wan's room. Her Master had said before that his transmitter was only for emergencies, and Jim had his, so more than likely, Obi-Wan had not taken it with him to the Pika Oasis. This was what Kira had been counting on. If her assumption was wrong, then she would be stuck.

Kira eased Obi-Wan's door open, quietly so she would not wake Anakin, and closed it behind her. Knowing Obi-Wan would not have left his hologram projector out in the open, she looked around the room for a drawer or box in which he may have placed the projector.

Obi-Wan had kept their quarters at the Temple perfectly tidy. Kira noticed the same quality of his room in this desert hut, but when she opened the first drawer, she was surprised to find items haphazardly tossed inside instead of neatly arranged and put in their proper places. Despite this, she found the projector with no trouble and eagerly activated it.

Now she just needed the correct number to call.

Kira brought up the list of previous contacts with the press of a button. She scrolled down, examining the time and day stamps on each call until she found the one she was looking for. Satisfied with her work, she clicked on the number and waited.

It seemed like an eternity before a hologram popped up. Kira recognized the kind face of Senator Bail Organa straight away. _"General Kenobi, to what –"_ Alarm spread over his features. _"Who are you and how did you come by this transmitter?"_

Kira straightened. "My apologies for alarming you, Senator," she said respectfully. "I don't believe we've been formally introduced. My name is Kira Narro, Padawan of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi."

The senator visibly relaxed. _"General Kenobi spoke of you quite often. What can I do for you, Miss Narro?"_

"It's not so much about what you can do for me, Senator, as much as it is about what I can do for the Republic." Kira lowered her voice a bit. "I wish to join your rebellion, sir."

Bail cocked his head. _"That's excellent. We need all the help we can get. I'm glad General Kenobi changed his mind. Surprised, yes, but pleasantly so."_

Kira would let him go on believing that. "Just tell me what I need to do, Senator. I am at your disposal."

There was a pause as Bail studied Kira through the hologram. _"Am I correct in saying that you are about fifteen years of age?"_

"Fourteen, sir."

" _We are in desperate need of informers. Spies, you might say, to feed us intel and information that we can use against the Empire. I believe you are just the right age to enter the Imperial Academy."_

"The Imperial Academy?" Kira was confused.

" _Yes. The Imperials would not suspect that a cadet they had trained could ever turn on them."_

Ah. Kira saw where this was leading. "You want me to apply to the Imperial Academy, become one of their own, and feed you the information I receive?"

Bail smiled. _"You catch on quickly. Would that be of interest to you?"_

Kira broke into a grin. "It's a brilliant plan, Senator, and I am happy to carry it out."

" _How soon can you be ready?"_

"As soon as you can send a ship. I have no way off-planet."

Bail considered this. _"There will be a ship from Alderaan bringing supplies to refugees in the Outer Rim. I will ask the captain to stop at the spaceport in Mos Eisley to pick you up and bring you back to Alderaan. There is an Academy here that you can enroll in. If it is agreeable with you, I will be happy to go ahead and put in your application."_

"That sounds very agreeable. Thank you, Senator."

" _Thank_ you, _Miss Narro,"_ Bail replied. _"This is an answer to prayer. The ship will be in Mos Eisley in two rotations. I can have my source on Tatooine escort you."_

"Mik Behov?"

Surprise formed on Bail's countenance. _"Yes."_

"I overheard her speaking to you a few months ago."

Bail visibly exhaled. _"I'm glad it was you who overheard and not someone else."_

"There shouldn't be much cause for worry out here," Kira tried to reassure the senator. "The Empire has not yet established a military presence here."

" _It will not remain that way."_ Bail studied her. _"So you are the girl who introduced herself as Eva Isis to Mik?"_

"Yes, sir."

" _I will put that as the name on your Academy application, then. It seems as though you have already become accustomed to answering to that name."_

Kira bit her lip. "I suppose so."

" _Thank you again for volunteering, Miss Narro – or should I say, Miss Isis. I will see you in a few rotations."_

"Take care, Senator."

With that, Kira ended the call, letting out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Her heart banged against her chest, and excitement thrummed in her veins. She had done it. She had volunteered to become a rebel spy, and she would begin her mission in less than a week.

Finally, she would be doing something to stop the Empire's schemes.

Kira was so excited she almost forgot to deactivate the projector and place it back in the drawer. She left Obi-Wan's room after checking to be sure everything was exactly how she'd found it when she'd entered. Her mind raced. She would need to talk to Mik somehow, even though she was certain Bail would make a call to her, too, since she was to be Kira's escort. She would need to pack without rousing suspicion, not that she had much to pack.

At last, it sank in.

Kira was going to become a rebel spy.

And she couldn't wait.

* * *

 **Wow. Two months is a long time to wait.**

 **Kira: Yes. It is.**

 **Me: You seem slightly standoffish today. What's up with that?**

 **Kira: I'm not standoffish.**

 **Me: Yes, you are.**

 **Kira: No, I'm not.**

 **Me: Yes, you are.**

 **Kira: This is getting us nowhere.**

 **Me: Yes, and I'm getting the sense I might be running for my life if I keep this up. Want to pick a song?**

 **Kira: Of course.**

 **Tablet: She got me locked up, tossing the key, even if I tried to run she'd never let me leave...**

 **Me: Ooh, nice.**

 **Kira: Thank you.**

 **Me: And now you have to do the review notice.**

 **Kira: ...**

 **Me: Kira, honestly.**

 **Kira: *sigh* Please review if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn. Thank you for your time.**

 **Me: I have to say, you're much more polite than Jim. Well, readers, thanks for clicking in, and may the Force be with you always! We'll see you Thursday!**

 **Kira: Why did you type "already" there?**

 **Me: Wait, what? Oh. *fixes typo* Yeah, thanks for that.**

 **Kira: What would you do without me?**

 **Me: Good question.**


	9. Rain Came Pouring

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **I did warn you about my new job, right? Well, if I did, don't say I didn't warn you, and if I didn't, I got a job and it's decreased my writing time to almost zero. So I'm very sorry about the delay and I hope this chapter is worth the wait.**

 **Thanks to Lux's Sister and blue candlelight 13 for their reviews, which are practically my livelihood.**

 **Now, without further ado, I present Chapter 9 of _Clean_! Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

Kira didn't breathe a word about what she had done.

Kira had hurried to pack a small bag while Jim and Obi-Wan were still away. She'd thrown in a few clothes, along with her hologram projector and her comlink. Despite her better judgment, she retrieved her lightsaber and threw that in the bag, too.

After all, the weapon was her life.

Once Kira finished, she pushed the bag under her bed. It wasn't the best hiding place, but no one in the hut would think to look there unless they suspected something. Kira was determined to see that they didn't.

When Obi-Wan and Jim returned from the Pika Oasis laden with supplies, Anakin was wide awake and at the door to greet his father. Kira had already prepared dinner and filled a pitcher with blue milk. If anyone had been on the outside looking in, things would have seemed perfectly normal for the little group.

Kira didn't notice the odd glances Obi-Wan tossed her way during the course of the evening.

The next day passed at a snail's pace. Kira couldn't keep still, even going so far as to take Anakin outside for a game of chase. He loved this game; his happy squeals and childish giggles echoed over the dunes as Kira ran just out of his reach, just far enough that he couldn't catch her.

Neither of them observed Obi-Wan standing at the door, watching them thoughtfully with a hand on his beard.

The game caused Anakin to become so exhausted that he almost fell asleep at lunch. Kira had to giggle when he nodded off and almost fell face-first onto his plate. "You can nap later, young one," she chided him gently. "Right now you need to eat so you can grow big and strong like your father."

Anakin perked up at the mention of Jim. "I'll be like Da?"

"Yes, you will."

Then Anakin shoveled his food into his mouth too fast. Kira had to force him to slow down until she no longer had to fear that he may choke.

That afternoon, while Anakin was napping, a call came in on Kira's transmitter. Kira let the caller leave a message so she could make sure it was Mik before she answered.

"Eva, it's Mik. I just found out from Senator Organa that I'm supposed to take you to the spaceport tomorrow, so I wanted to give you the details –"

Kira pressed the button. "Mik?"

Mik stopped talking. "Eva?"

"Hello."

"Hello to you, too. I hear you're joining up with Senator Organa's rebellion."

Kira raised an eye marking. "How reliable is your source?"

Mik laughed, as Kira had hoped she would. "Considering my source is the senator himself, pretty reliable, I would say! Did he give you any details?"

"Just to be ready by tomorrow and that you were taking me to the spaceport to meet my ride."

"All that is true." There was a rustling on the other end of the call. "But, uh, that flight leaves at 0500 hours. I was planning to pick you up at 0400 hours. That won't be a problem, will it?"

Kira couldn't have asked for a better time to leave. This would spare her any awkward explanations or possible fights. She most certainly wouldn't want to leave Obi-Wan, Jim, or Anakin on such a note. "Of course not. I will be ready at 0400 hours."

"Great. Pack light; just bring what you need. The senator will provide the rest."

Kira smiled a little. "How kind of him. Thanks for calling, Mik. I was just now wondering how I was going to contact you, since I don't have your comm number. How did you get mine, anyway?"

Kira detected a hint of laughter in Mik's voice when she answered. "I got it from the senator when he asked if I had your contact information and I told him I didn't. Thanks for ratting me out, by the way – he said you overheard our little chat."

"Couldn't help it. You _were_ a little loud."

"Very funny. See you tomorrow, Eva. Rest up – you're going to be one busy bee at the Academy."

"Don't I know it. I'll see you in the morning."

With that, the call dropped, and Kira deactivated the transmitter. Leaning over, she used the Force to grab her little bag from under her bed so she could drop her transmitter inside and push it back under the bed. Normally she wouldn't use the Force for convenience like that, but she did want to get the task done as quickly as possible so she wouldn't run the risk of being caught.

Kira also wanted to use the Force freely for a moment, especially since she wouldn't be able to use it at all once she was at the Academy.

Jim was chatty at dinner that evening, a relief for Kira. She tore her flatbread into pieces as she listened to Jim's tale of a Dug who'd attempted to make a getaway in his newly repaired speeder without paying for those repairs. According to him, it'd taken three humans and an Ithorian to hold down the four-armed alien after a spectacular tackle made by none other than Jim himself.

"The guy wouldn't quit squirming, even after I told him we'd let him go if he just gave us the credits," Jim said as he dipped a piece of flatbread into his stew. "We'd done a good job on his speeder, too."

"Dugs are tricky creatures," Obi-Wan replied. "I met one on my first visit to Tatooine."

Kira glanced sideways at her Master, on whose face had appeared a sad, wistful look. Sighing softly, she turned back to her meal, popped a stew-covered piece of flatbread into her mouth, and found that she had lost her appetite.

"They are unsavory things," Jim said, wisely choosing not to question Obi-Wan's comment. "They're slimy, too – at least, this one was. I can't speak for all of them, since I haven't actually touched any others. But this one was a blustery fellow."

"I must say, that sounds just like the Dug I met."

Jim smirked. "Maybe they were brothers."

And the laughter that ensued after that was contagious, and Kira found herself laughing with Obi-Wan and Jim. Anakin added to the chaos by pounding his spoon on the table, happily kicking and squealing. For a moment, the gloomy fog lifted, and everyone at the table was smiling.

Now this was the last memory of her makeshift family that Kira had wanted.

* * *

Kira awoke with a start.

For a split second, Kira contemplated going back to sleep. Then she remembered her plans, and she pushed back the covers, swung her legs over the side of the bed, and looked at her chrono. It read 0323 hours.

Deciding it would be no use to go back to sleep, Kira slid silently to the floor, pulled her bag from under her bed, and dropped the chrono into the bag. Then she picked up her tunic, leggings, and boots from the foot of the bed and changed into them before folding her nightclothes and placing them neatly on her pillow. After this, she picked up a sheet of flimsi and a stylus from her nightstand and carried them over to the window, where light from the moon fell on the sill. It would be a perfect table.

Tapping the stylus against her lip, Kira wondered what she could possibly write.

In the end, she addressed the note to Obi-Wan. She explained what she had done and why she had done it; then she expressed her desire that they would meet again very soon. She finished by writing out her thanks for the faith Obi-Wan had placed in her and her hope that he would continue to have faith in her from a distance.

"Things will get better," she closed. "I don't know how or when, but until that time, may the Force be with you always."

Kira folded the note neatly and tucked it under her arm. With her other hand, she pulled her chrono from her bag. It read 0348 hours. Mik would be arriving soon.

Kira dropped the chrono back into the bag and skulked her way into the hall, taking care not to make a sound. Not even a small creak sounded as Kira made her way through the dim hallway into the living area. She placed her note on the table and turned toward the door. Quickly and quietly she stepped into the shadows between the door and the window. Even if someone else did happen to be up, they would not see her at first glance. Her dark clothes helped camouflage her.

It seemed like forever before Kira heard the distant whine of the speeder over the dunes. Exhaling softly, she turned to press the button beside the door to unlock and open it.

The shift in the Force alerted her to another presence before the creak on the floorboards delivered the same message.

Kira sighed in defeat. "You've gotten rusty, Master," she murmured, turning to face Obi-Wan, who stood behind her at the entrance to the living area.

"So I have."

Master and Padawan stared at each other for a moment until Obi-Wan broke the silence. "Where are you going?"

It would be pointless to avoid the question. "Alderaan. Everything has been arranged."

"So it would seem."

Kira raised her chin a little. "Yes."

Obi-Wan studied Kira, his blue-gray gaze unfaltering. "And you intended to leave without saying goodbye."

Kira swallowed, hard. "Yes."

"I see."

The whine of the speeder drew ever closer to the dwelling. Kira clutched her bag in her fist. "My mind is made up. I can't stay here any longer. Not now, not when innocent beings are being hurt."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Kira, I understand why you want to do this, but we must be patient. The time will come for us to fight back."

"That time is _now_ , Master. Every little victory counts."

Obi-Wan moved a little closer. "Kira, please, try to understand –"

Kira reached behind her, toward the button. "What I understand, Master Kenobi, is the threat this Empire poses to everyone in the galaxy. What I don't understand is why you chose to keep me away from the conflict."

Obi-Wan's eyes flashed, and somehow Kira knew he understood exactly what she meant. "I thought you trusted me, Kira."

"I do."

"Then why would you go to Senator Organa behind my back like this?"

"Because _you_ went to Senator Organa behind _my_ back in a similar fashion."

The whine grew louder and louder, and Kira could see the dust cloud from Mik's speeder through the window. Obi-Wan came even closer and grasped Kira's arms. "I wanted to protect you, Kira."

Kira sighed heavily. "Do you have any faith in me at all, Master?"

Obi-Wan bristled. "Of course I do."

"Do you have any faith in the lessons you taught me?"

"Certainly."

Kira met Obi-Wan's stare. "Then have faith that those lessons and the Force will keep me safe, and have faith that I have the knowledge and the sense to use them both." In a completely impulsive gesture, Kira wriggled her arms free and threw them around Obi-Wan's neck. Burying her face in his cloak, she struggled to swallow before she spoke again. "Thank you, Master."

To her immense surprise, Kira felt Obi-Wan's arms tightly wrap around her waist to embrace her in return. "Whatever for?"

With one final squeeze, Kira pulled back and met Obi-Wan's eyes, which, if she didn't know better, she would've thought were glassy with unshed tears. "For everything."

The whine approached, and Kira heard the speeder brake right outside. "My ride." Stepping back, she reached for the button again. "We'll see each other again. I believe that."

Kira's fingers found the button and pressed it, and she turned to go outside. Obi-Wan stopped her once more. "Kira?"

Kira glanced over her shoulder. "Yes?"

Obi-Wan stood with his arms folded across his chest, his features soft. "May the Force be with you."

Kira gave him the best smile she could. "Take care of yourself, Master. May the Force be with you."

With that, Kira stepped outside and let the door close behind her. Her eyes watered, and she lifted her hand to wipe them before she approached Mik's speeder. However, Mik knew Kira's watery eyes didn't come from any sand in the air. "Saying a few final farewells?" she asked as Kira climbed into the passenger seat.

"Saying a few goodbyes, yes, but I don't believe they'll be my final farewells, as you say." Kira looked over as Mik started the speeder. "You make it sound so dire."

Mik shrugged in reply. "I know what I hear, Eva. And from what I hear, the situation is, in fact, pretty dire."

With that, the speeder sped off into the desert under a sky just beginning to turn the color of the pair of eyes watching it disappear.

* * *

 **Nice foreshadowing there, Mik. Now, dear readers, unfortunately we are drawing near to the end of this story, but do not fear! This will not be the end of the _Eyes Open_ saga!  
**

 **Kira: ...it won't?**

 **Me: Nope! Although, the next leg will take place during a different era...**

 **Kira: Hold up. There's another _leg_!?**

 **Me: Yup! A _Rebels_ leg!**

 **Kira: Force help me.**

 **Me: Yes, indeed. Anyway. Would the woman of the hour like to choose a song?**

 **Kira: *sighs* I suppose. I'm the only one here to do the review notice anyway.**

 **Tablet: I just died in your arms tonight, it must've been something you said...**

 **Me: I like it.**

 **Kira: I have good taste.**

 **Me: You get that from me. Now, the review notice.**

 **Kira: Fine. If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, please review and let Amy know.**

 **Me: And let me know that you're actually still reading. *cringe***

 **Kira: You're so insecure.**

 **Me: Unfortunately, that is true. Well, thanks for clicking in, everyone, and may the Force be with you always! Especially tonight, as we struggle through the feels that will be dealt us tonight.**

 **Kira: And a drama queen.**

 **Me: I'm going to spare you until you actually have to live through the show.  
**


	10. I Think I Am Finally Clean

**At long, long last, peoples of the earth, we come to the close of _Clean._ The very end of Kira's time in the Clone Wars.**

 **Wow.**

 **Anyway. Thanks to Lux's Sister, blue candlelight 13, and DrOvertime for their reviews. (Sorry not sorry for the tissue expenses, Lux's Sister. :P)**

 **And now, at the end of a very long waiting period, I present the tenth and final chapter of _Clean._ Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

The uniform was pressed and folded and already on her bunk when she arrived.

Kira placed her bag on the bunk and picked up the pristine piece of flimsi on top of the uniform. A quick scan of the note revealed a welcome to the Academy and an itinerary of her first week. For the rest of the day, Kira was to acquaint herself with the school – locate her classrooms and the mess, introduce herself to her roommates, et cetera, et cetera.

As her roommates had not yet arrived, Kira decided to take a self-guided tour of the Academy campus. She grabbed her identification card, took note of her room number, and headed out.

Despite being in different buildings, the classrooms were easy enough to find. Even though the curriculum would be biased toward the Empire and its propaganda, Kira had no doubt that her classes would be the most enjoyable part of her mission. She was especially looking forward to her humanities studies, philosophy and logic among them.

The mess was also easy to find. It was open when Kira tried the door, and her mouth watered immediately at the smell. Fried nuna certainly wasn't the best food for anyone to eat, but even a former Padawan could indulge every so often. Besides, Kira was certain that the fried nuna wouldn't be offered often, considering that this was a military school.

On her way back to her room, Kira found her dorm's common room. It was small, with utilitarian furniture and shelves of holobooks. A grin formed on Kira's face at the sight, and the grin grew wider when she found the clear transparisteel door leading outdoors. The view of the Alderaanian mountains beckoned to her, and she found herself opening the door within seconds.

The view was even more impressive once outside. Kira stood just outside the door, one hand on the transparisteel as she stared at the blue summertime color of the mountains. Snow did not yet top the high peaks, but Kira knew from her research on the planet that the first glimpses of white would appear within the month. The breeze carried the sweet smell of a nearby vineyard into Kira's nose and tore strands of hair from her braid.

When Kira turned her head a bit to the left, one of the other dorms caught her eye. Though it was not dissimilar from her own dorm, the cold, gray durasteel was easier to ignore when it was behind her. It was easier to forget if it wasn't in her line of sight, where it stood out among the waving green grasses and the blue-hued mountains and the sweet smell of grapes.

And that's when the first tear rolled down Kira's cheek.

Frustrated, Kira wiped it away. _You chose this,_ she furiously reminded herself. _This is what_ you _wanted, remember?_

Then she realized something.

No matter what, Kira would've seen this disturbance. She would've seen the ugly Imperial gray across the galaxy, no matter where she went. She would've seen it on Endor among the majestic oaks. She would have seen it on an outpost in the middle of the never-ending ocean of Kamino, as furious and cold as the waters of the stormy planet. She would have seen it somewhere in the middle of the hunting grounds of her mother's family on Shili.

She would have seen the colors of the Jedi Temple replaced with that dull steel gray.

Another tear joined the first. Kira exhaled and wiped her eyes again, struggling to pull herself together. Yes, that gray would spread across the galaxy, and yes, she was crying at the prospect, but at least that wasn't the extent of what she was doing. She was going to stop that gray in its tracks; she had come to gather intel and by the Force, that's what she would do. She would gather each and every piece of information she could find and feed it to Senator Organa until the Empire fell. She would not let the Empire stamp out the beauty of the universe and the sentients it housed while beauty still existed.

Until then, there was work to be done.

A _lot_ of work.

So Kira straightened, pulled her shoulders back, and cleared her eyes one more time. She was an Imperial cadet now, and she had to act like one. Her decorum had to be appropriate; otherwise she would be caught.

Failure was not an option.

Turning her back to the mountains, Kira stepped back inside the dorm and shut the door. On her way back to her room, she passed other arriving cadets, several of whom smiled and nodded to her. Kira smiled back at each one, hoping a few may share her classes.

Kira found her two new roommates in her room when she returned. Both were human. One had fiery, frizzy red hair and had already changed into her uniform. The other had short black hair and slanted eyes set in a pale face; she reminded Kira of the former senator from Hubmarine. "Hello," she said, the first of the three to speak.

"Hello," Kira replied.

The redhead looked Kira up and down. Seeming to come to a decision, she turned on her heel and stormed into the bathroom without a word. Kira raised an eye marking. "Well," she said, not used to being snubbed.

The pale girl spoke up. "I'm Amia," she introduced herself. "That's Nadine. We came together – she's not very sociable, I'm afraid."

"There's not much I can do about that." Kira held out a hand. "Eva Isis."

Amia gave Kira's hand a firm shake. "Nice to meet you."

"And you."

Amia studied Kira for a moment. It was not an evaluation, but instead the result of curiosity. "Have you been crying?" she asked suddenly. "I mean, if you have been, that's fine. I won't tell. I'm a bit homesick, too. You … _are_ homesick, right?" She blushed, the redness evident on her pale cheeks.

With a sad smile, Kira told the truth about herself for possibly the last time.

"Something like that."

* * *

 ***sniffles* My little baby's grown up too fast.**

 **Kira: So that's it, then? Is that where it ends? I'm destined to be a spy forever?**

 **Me: Oh, I'm not done with you yet! Heck no!**

 **Kira: Why did I ask?**

 **Me: ...although there will be a very long time skip. Next time we see you, you're going to be in _Rebels._ Which, dear peoples, reminds me - if you want to continue following Kira's adventures, start watching the _Rebels_ FF category. Her next story will take place in that era. **

**Kira: Oh, joy.**

 **Me: Also, exam week starts Monday for me, and then break comes along. Which means I have free time to write stories!**

 **Kira: Between work and applications and signing up for classes.**

 **Me: ...I already did that last one.**

 **Kira: Still.**

 **Me: You made your point, thank you. And now you get to do the review notice!**

 **Kira: What about the song?**

 **Me: Notice first.**

 **Kira: Fine. Please, review if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn. Thank you.**

 **Me: Well done. Now you can pick the song.**

 **Kira: Thank you.**

 **Tablet: Girl, put your love on me, cause I won't let you down, I won't let you down...**

 **Me: Nice choice. All right. Ready to close?**

 **Kira: I suppose.**

 **Both: THANKS FOR CLICKING IN AND MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU ALWAYS!**

 **Me: See ya next time! *waves***


End file.
